Hello Everyone –
Again this year March has come roaring in like a lion, dropping up to a foot of snow on a handful of resorts in the southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. When one thinks of snow, (unless you are from around here), the thought of this region probably doesn’t come to mind. What many don’t realize there is always plenty of snow on the slopes in this region, from North Carolina into Virginia, across West Virginia and Tennessee and north into Maryland this time of year. Again it looks like a very promising spring skiing season ahead for everyone.
I read a number of on-slope web reports and stories in various papers about the current conditions and still don’t think people realize just how much snow is out there on the slopes. The calendar says March but the conditions are the best of the season. Just when you think a warm trend and underdeveloped snow is going to put a stake in this season’s heart, the temperature drops, snowmaking commences and natural snow falls from the skies. Not a bad combination. There are a number of Doubting Thomas’ out there, just read some of the forums. Forget what they are saying, there is no better time to hit the slopes then right now through the first of April.
Skiers and snowboarders are going to be reading about historical temperatures that may indicate very warm days ahead. Just a friendly reminder the information you are finding in the 10 to 15 day forecasts are fueled by historical data. You can believe what you read 48 hours out as being factual, but beyond that be very, very cautious. For the most part resorts throughout the region have done an excellent job this year in providing very believable condition reports. So the moral to this story is to check this site or each resort’s own site for conditions or weather forecasts.
What makes this time even more perfect than the mild temperatures are the price of lift tickets. All of the resorts will be dropping or have already dropped the cost of single-day tickets. This should make any decision to go or not to go very easy. If you are not fan of skiing or riding on a blustery day in January or February you will like the March days that are usually sunny and mild. Instead of layering to keep warm, a single fleece or vest is usually the only thing needed to keep the upper body comfortable. Now give me another excuse not to head to the slopes in March or early April.
That’s it for this week, just remember whether it be cold or whether it be hot, we’ll whether the weather, whatever the weather will be. Think about it! See you on the slopes.
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Joe Stevens, a member of the southeast ski industry since 1990 is a regular columnist for skisoutheast.com and serves as the Communications Director for the West Virginia Ski Areas Association.