The next time someone wants to dog the southeast for its ski and snowboard scene, remind them of days like today.
The region has been pummeled with snow. Mother Nature has been particularly kind to West Virginia, sending nearly a foot of snow to Timberline Mountain, 6 inches and counting to Snowshoe, and another 10 inches to Canaan Resort. But North Carolina’s high country got some goods as well, with Beech receiving 2 inches of fresh snow, and Sugar getting about an inch. Even Appalachian was blessed with an inch of fresh stuff.
Meanwhile, resorts in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, just to reference a few, have closed their slopes today in hopes of preserving the precious snow they have after a that nor’easter brought massive amounts of rain.
I mean no disrespect to the resorts in the northeast when I bring this up. However, I think it’s a nice bit of perspective to have. While some people tease us down here for ski trails with green sideburns in the early season, the resorts, staff, skiers, and snowboarders all know how to pivot when undesirable weather – also known as rain – shows itself again and again.
Get It While It’s Good
The weekend warmup looks like it’s on the horizon yet again, according to meteorologist Brad Panovich. As he says in his mountain forecast, if you’re a snowmaker in the region, or have any role in the snowmaking decision making process, go ahead and make as much snow as you can. By the weekend, a north-south ridge is coming through the region, and will likely hit Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Speaking of the cool down, it is chilly out there today. Temperatures are in the teens this morning at Beech, Sugar, and Cataloochee. It’s 15 degrees at both Canaan Valley Resort and Snowshoe this morning, and even 23 degrees at Wisp. So yes, you will probably be sweating a bit more today after working through all of that fresh powder. But you’ll also be freezing on the lift a little more than usual. So keep that in mind when you’re layering.
On days like today, if I know I’m not going to have to wait in chairlift lines for very long because it’s midweek, I like to wear just my warmest base layer, with a Gore-Tex outer layer. That gives me some time to cool down in between runs, instead of creating more sweat that will eventually become ice cold when I slow down for lunch or a trip back to the car to retrieve something.
But with that being said, there are plenty of goods to go around the southeast this morning. Here’s what you need to know. The Kendog (SkiSoutheast’s Kenny Griffin) said it best on our Discord channel this morning: today is for the diehards.
Timberline
It is looking deep in Davis, West Virginia. Timberline is reporting 8-12 inches of natural snowfall, as well as snowmaking that resume last night, and will continue both on unopened and open terrain throughout the day. Those looking to get their powder fix should head to White Lightning and Thunderstruck, as those two black diamond runs will remained ungroomed.
Canaan Valley Resort
With about 10 inches of freshies, the snowfall hasn’t yet concluded at Canaan just yet. There is just one lift and four trails open at the moment, and all are considered beginners terrain: B Slope, Sissy Schuss, Bunny Buster, and Critters Crawl. Keep an eye on the trail report to see if more trails open up throughout the day.
Snowshoe
It’s cold at Snowshoe today, but looking like it’s worth it, as there are flurries projected throughout the day. The resort has a 46-inch base of packed powder, and has gotten over 6 inches of snow in the past 24 hours.
There are 23 trails, and eight lifts open today, and Silver Creek looks ready to be shred. Here’s what the Snowshoe team has to say:
The Cheat Mountain Magic is back! We’ve got 6″ of fresh powder this morning and it’s still coming down! Snow is expected to continue for most of the day so get out there early and hit it hard. We’ll see you out there. You can find the Burger Bus slope side between Skidder and The Big Top.”
Bryce
Well, well, well. Even Bryce decided to get in on the natural snow action this morning.
Our ResortCams showed some flakes coming down around 8 a.m. today. It doesn’t look like much accumulation yet, but the mountain is open with five trails and three lifts spinning. It is also home to the warmest temperatures in the region today, at 31 degrees.
Appalachian Ski Mountain
This little shredder exemplifies the vibe heading into the holidays.
App Ski has its usually five lifts spinning today, and a groomed surface with an inch of fresh powder. But something to keep in mind for today: there are no open terrain parks. Appaljack and Appal Jam are both closed this morning.
Good news if you’re a season passholder at Beech: between now and January 1, you’ll get to hit the slopes an hour earlier, starting at 8 a.m. daily. That excludes Christmas Day.
Lastly, I’m headed up north soon to visit my family for the holidays (and beat the chaotic rush that comes with traveling this time of year). That also means I’ll be shredding some old classics in the northeast. I’ve got a to-do list while I’m up in New England, and one of those things involves taking my dog splitboarding with me for the first time. I’ll keep you updated on those efforts.
But all that is to say this: I’ll be documenting my adventures not only in the FirsTrax report, by on social media and on our Discord channel as well. We recently added a #northeast channel, and you all have been making me jealous with photos from Killington, Pico, and Stratton. If you haven’t joined yet, now is as good of a day as any to start.
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. I want to see powder day pictures!
Keep skiing the southeast.