It’s a cold one out there. Winter is back in a big way.
Temperatures are in the single digits in places like Snowshoe, and in the teens at Timberline, Canaan Valley Resort and Beech Mountain this morning.
There’s some more snow this morning too. Snowshoe was hit with another 3 inches of the fresh stuff. Timberline and Canaan Valley Resort each got about 2 inches overnight, leaving the two ski areas with up to 10 inches of natural snow that’s fallen since Friday.
It looks like the region is getting a refill. That’s a good thing, because with the heavy traffic this weekend, we’re in need of a little help from mother nature to ensure that our season lasts as long as possible.
Last year, I was super disappointed to arrive back in Raleigh after a trip to Montana to see that some of the resorts were already closing up shop for the season. I had blocked out some time to hit Cataloochee, but Mother Nature left it off the schedule.
Right now, with fingers crossed, it’s looking like we should be able to sustain enough winter to get us to the projected end of the season. Let’s hope so. We all deserve it.
Just be happy you weren’t planning on skiing at Deer Valley in Utah this weekend. That resort sold out of lift tickets and Ikon Pass reservations altogether.
And if you’re looking to ski for free after the holiday weekend, just book a trip to Maine. L.L. Bean has teamed up with Mt. Abram to offer free lift tickets on Tuesday. Lift tickets, rentals, and uphill passes are all on the house.
Here’s what you need to know to ski and ride in the southeast today:
Appalachian Ski Mountain
Daytime tickets at App are sold out for today. Discord user Applander was there yesterday. He kept it simple with his report.
“Windy, fast and firm today,” he said.
It’s 19 degrees this morning at App. Everything except for Orchard Run is open today, and all of the lifts except for the Handle Pull are running.
The Red Bull progression session in the AppalTop Terrain Park from 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The park will be completely revised and revamped, and have some fresh features for fast progression. The event is open to riders of any age level, and is free to enter. Registration is on-site at the Alpine Ski Shop from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
And don’t forget: tomorrow is a 2-for-1 ticket special: buy one ticket now, and get a free one in March. There will also be free ice skating for juniors from 9:30 to 11:30.
Massanutten
Reader MeiMei Ma was at Massanutten yesterday. Here’s her report:
Massanutten was snowmaking all over the mountain at 1:30 p.m., including teaching area. Snowguns are pointed high. Mostly pretty dry snow, but a few places of base building when goggles got covered. We opted to head back to the condo for a leisurely lunch.”
Cataloochee
Snow guns are firing at Cataloochee this morning.
Night skiing is on, and there are 17 of 18 trails open. All five lifts are spinning. The terrain park will be reset soon.
Bryce Resort
It could be a record breaking weekend of snowfall at Bryce Resort.
The ski area got about three inches of fresh snow yesterday. That was less than what was forecast, but temperatures are dropping into the low teens and snowmaking is fully back on.
“A ‘Bryce’ snow: meaning snow on slopes and trees but roads are clear,” ski patroller Bill Nabers said. “Could be a record breaking weekend by Monday. Snowmaking the next few nights. “
“Conditions next week will be all time after two nights of snowmaking, a little natural snow, and cold temps to preserve it,” the snow report says. “We plan to keep the mountain open as far into March as we can and we will go to Easter if possible which is looking more possible now.”
Snowshoe
It’s a cold one out there.
Reader Brian Duy brought is family to West Virginia this weekend. Here’s his report:
Great conditions at rope drop today! Cold though. Runs of the day so far are Gandy Dancer and Cupp Run. Layer up and bundle up and take plenty of breaks to warm up as it’s very cold.”
The Omni Homestead
There’s live music and drink specials today at Kober’s. And while the Omni typically is closed on Monday’s it will remain open tomorrow for President’s Day. The final day of the season is already scheduled for March 3.
“We had a solid day of snow making yesterday and now have four trails with an average base of 15-inches,” Lynn Swann said. “Snow making will continue until 9 a.m. today. The Penguin Slides Tubing area has one lane available today.”
Wintergreen
The team at Wintergreen is snowmaking like crazy, as temperatures dip into the teens.
“We expect even better conditions today with highs in the 30s. Some of the best conditions of the season,” the snow report says.
Winterplace
Back to our regularly scheduled programming at Winterplace. There are 28 of 29 possible trails open this morning. From the snow report:
3-inches of natural snow total plus snowmaking yesterday and last night will bring out some great conditions today! Snowmaking will shutdown mid-morning as the temperatures warm up. Our commitment to delivering the best experience possible remains unwavering, and we can’t wait to see you all out there shredding the fresh snow this weekend….The sun is back and conditions will be great!
Video of the Day
Red Gerard. Ben Ferguson. Whistler! Alaska! Pillow lines, and a killer soundtrack to boot!
Furgie-Furg has the best method in the sport. There are few people still riding who can tweak their board quite like he can. As for Red, the ripper is an all-terrain vehicle. The kid can do it all.
UNH Hockey
There might be three of you readers who actually cares about this next sentence, but I don’t care.
The University of New Hampshire Wildcats men’s hockey team is fresh off of a weekend sweep of the Maine Black Bears. That Maine team was ranked at No. 7 nationally. The pair of wins is absolutely huge for preserving the ‘Cats season.
Everyday is a great day to be a Wildcat.
The Rest
Thanks to everyone that has already joined us on Discord.
Think snow!
Think cold!
Click here to join us on our new SkiSoutheast Discord channel. It is a great way to meet new snow loving friends and shares experiences, ask questions, and more!
And as always, email me at [email protected] with your thoughts and photos.