IT’S TIME TO CRANK UP THE SNOW GUNS BOYS AND GIRLS!
We’re seeing some natural snow falling at 7:22am up on Beech Mountain! No snow guns just yet, but that HAS to crank up pretty soon as Beech is showing 30°. The moisture stayed in place, but the cold temps came much more slowly than expected and therefore it appears that the North Carolina mountains are going to miss out on heavy snow and maybe pick up 1-3" of snow. We’ll take it right?!?!
OF COURSE Sugar is already making snow this morning. Give the man his credit, Gunther is FIRST nearly every single time the temp drops.
Thankfully the temps are dropping and we should see some PROLONGED snowmaking for the next few days and nights (at places other than Sugar!) Winter here we FINALLY come!
Here’s some notables. I’ll be traveling today…so you guys get me some pics of the snow and snowmaking and we’ll get the post Sunday evening and Monday.
Appalachian Ski Mountain – 33° – 5 trails / 3 lifts – No Snowmaking Yet
Cataloochee Ski Area – Chris, Tammy, Tony and crew don’t usually make snow during ski sessions, but these are "desparate times" and Tammy Brown informs guests, "The colder weather did not arrive as quickly as we anticipated but should be moving into our area during the day tomorrow. In an effort to capture the colder weather and maximize snowmaking to improve conditions and open more terrain, Cataloochee guests should expect snowmaking to be in progress during skiing hours if temperatures permit for the next week. Please be prepared for winter conditions with hats and goggles and please dress accordingly. We will be making snow at each opportunity the temperatures will allow in order to add to our current base depth and add additional terrain for your upcoming holiday skiing and riding. Snowmaking could begin as early as midday on Sunday and there is a possibility of some natural snowfall occurring on Sunday as well.
On Sunday, we will be skiing on four slopes with 2 aerial lifts and 1 surface lift operating on a base of 10-20 inches and a loose granular surface.
On Sunday, we will offer one session of skiing only, day skiing from 8:30am – 4:30pm with a morning or afternoon half day rate also available."
(Way to go Tammy…)
Hawksnest Ski Resort – It’s 7am and 32° and the guns are not on just yet. Justin Grimes writes, "Good news, not only is a snowstorm predicted for this weekend, the long-term forecast for Christmas through New Years is the coldest and best we’ve seen in a few years. Plan to come celebrate the Holidays with us; conditions should be great. We anticipate opening Wednesday, December 19, for skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing with normal operating hours for day and night. Stay tuned to our website and livecam to watch the snowstorm and snowmaking in progress. See you on the snow very soon!"
(I hope he’s right.)
Ski Beech – It’s 30° and snowing at Beech. No snowguns yet but I would HOPE they are scrambling to get those new machines blasting away!
Sugar Mountain – They show the same 30° and they are OF COURSE already making snow. Things look p-r-e-t-t-y bad on Sugar but that will now change very quickly.
Wolf Ridge – The temps are not QUITE there yet for Wolf but they should be cranking up in a bit and announced that they will be looking to open mid week.
NOT FINISHED WITH GLOBAL WARMING COMMENTS JUST YET!
It has been great to receive so MANY emails from you guys about the global warming comments that we (I) made the other day. Yesterday several more hit my inbox and it’s great to see that all but MAYBE four emails were in agreement with our stance. That has me planning to post a new POLL later today that will ask our readers where they stand. Look for that this evening and be sure to vote. From what I have heard and read, it is obvious that the vast majority of people think that the Global Warming "craze" is just that. Most people seem to thing that we are simply on a cycle and that it will get COLD again. Most write that it is simply a MONORITY of people clamoring that they are smarter than ALL OF THE REST of us. I have tons of comments and responses that I will share with you guys later this evening or Monday.
Keep them coming!
Send your comments, pics and vids to: [email protected]
Visit www.SkiSoutheast.com for more notes from Ski Resorts from around the entire Southeast and Mid Atlantic! BIG SNOWS ARE DUE FOR SOME OF OUR AREA!
Until Next time…