Well, let's see… Snowshoe got about an inch, Wisp, a couple, Cataloochee, a few, and more is on the way across the region! …oh wait, I'm talking about rain, not snow.
Hey, I have to report on something this morning. Better than making stuff up; although don't quote me on those numbers, I did just throw those out there. Some fellow once said, "the best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain." It's not the precipitation we're all hoping for but it's what we're getting, so we might as well embrace it.
I'm not a weather guru, but I can read with the best of them, and my sources say that the thermometer is going to be showing degrees we expect to see at this time of year. Nothing too frigid or worthy of a celebration dance is in the forecast, as of yet, but hang in there — storms don't read weather reports.
The part to take away from the above mumbo jumbo is that colder weather is projected for the next week or so, which means resorts should – SHOULD- have quite a few snowmaking opportunities in front of them. Several are planning to open by the weekend, so if all goes according to schedule (when is that ever the case?), we'll have maybe 10 plus resorts operating by Christmas (which is seven days and 13 hours away, in case you're wondering)!
So what are the "10 plus resorts?" Cat, Snowshoe, and Wisp account for three, as they're already open. Now onto the ones who are reporting an opening date – Sapphire Valley , Timberline, and Winterplace are planning for Dec 21, and Wintergreen is planning for "shortly after the 19th." That makes seven. And then, between the resorts that are making snow at every chance and working to open/reopen, I figured we'd get at least three more. My guess would be Sugar, Beech, and maybe App or Massanutten. Ober Gatlinburg and The Homestead could be flying under the radar, Bryce too. Canaan is set to open the day after Christmas, and as for Wolf Ridge, the jury is still out.
There you have it – TEN resorts by Christmas! That's what I'm approximating and I'm sticking to it. We could all use a little optimism right now, so why not? If I'm wrong… we'll give 1 FREE lift pass to the first person who emails me with the correct info on December 26. Mind you, we'll know on Christmas Day, but I don't want anyone's focus to be off-center that day, so you'll have to wait to weigh in on that Wednesday. We'll announce the winner , if need be ;-), on January 2nd.
If that has you excited, be sure to checkout our ongoing 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways! Follow SkiSoutheast on Twitter, join us on Facebook, and register to be a part of our online community! As Joe Stevens says, we'll "weather the weather" together!
Email me at [email protected]. And enjoy the photos, courtesy of Wisp Resort 2012.