Get out and enjoy the great conditions at ALL SKI AREAS of the Southeast today. Pick one, any one…and you WILL have an EPIC day! Conditions have not been better since back last February and March. Right now conditions are a strong 9.5 out of 10, and we’re holding onto that last ½ point for deep powder!
We want to continue to thank all of you who have written us about our new policy about only promoting participating resorts. Now that some 36 hours have passed, we have now had more than 5000 of you read the press release, and hundreds of you have emailed and dozens post on the messageboard and to date all but ONE person have given us a hearty two thumbs up. One guy made some good points…he was just wrong! I kill me! Anyway, we REALLY appreciate you guys!
Let’s get to what you’re here for…the notes from around the region:
Since meteorologist Brad Panovich is calling for the most snow to hit the
Andrea Smith at Snowshoe wrote, “The snow has begun! Combine the natural snow with aggressive night time snowmaking and grooming, and Snowshoe continues to offer some of the best skiing and riding conditions in the entire East! Be advised four trails at the Snowshoe area were not groomed overnight, Choker, Knot Bumper and Upper and Lower Shays. Be advised the
There’s always something going on at The Shoe!
Timberline Resort just updated us and it’s slightly different than posted elsewhere. They have made a lot of snow and are now boasting a 30-60” base that has been 75% groomed and the forecast is for heavy snow today on their 29 open trails. Perfect conditions are ready to play on.
Winterplace Resort has already received an inch of snow, taking them to 54” on the season. Winterplace is experiencing EPIC conditions today with 27 trails and 8 lifts operating on a base of 38-54”!
Wisp Resort in
Ober Gatlinburg in
Massanutten Resort in
The
Wintergreen Resort is excited about the 6-12” of snow forecasted there for today! Snowmaking will continue around the clock in an effort to continually improve their slopes. Thanks to their automated snowmaking system they will be reopening Outer limits today, Upper Diamond Hill tomorrow for the Blue Rdge Double Cross event and Lower Cliffhanger and Turkey Shoot early next week. Today, they will be skiing and riding on 21 trails and all 5 lifts will be running. All trails were groomed overnight and have a packed powder surface. The Plunge and the Slide are open today with 2 hour sessions starting at 10am for some thrilling tubing.
Appalachian is no longer making snow except at night, because they don’t need to! Conditions are as good as they can get right now, without God’s help! The only thing missing is a foot of nature’s powder and we may get that (or near it) today. App is in primo shape on all 9 trails. The terrain park is primed and ready and the Ice Skating rink should be sweet with some snow to add to the ambience!
Tammy Brown at Cataloochee is smiling from ear to ear these days as massive snowmaking and some help from Mother Nature have made for the best conditions in years. Tammy invited me over to hang out with them. I’m going to have to become an unofficial member of the Cat Crew! They are 100% open with all ten trails in sweet shape. Tammy, Chris Bates and Tony Waddell run a great operation over there and you guys should pay them a visit. If you haven’t skied at the Cat you’re in for a treat. These people know how to treat visitors! Tube World should also be a ton of fun today with 6-8” of snow falling today as well!
Hawksnest now has everything open with the exception of Old Blue. Lenny and his staff are strutting these days as everyone is talking about the great conditions up there. Also with TOP GUN open, they now boast what MANY claim is the best advanced slope in
While we’re on Hawksnest, Lenny Cottom wanted me to get the word out about a great event that Hawksnest is hosting to help support local teachers. The event is for the Watauga Education Foundation. The group supports local teachers with additional supplies for the classroom. The school board can only do so much, so the Watauga Education Foundation, headed by Executive Director Sara Massey and President Missy Harrill, works to provide additional educational grants for teachers. It’s a great group and Hawksnest has decided to give them a special boost by hosting an event and ALL of the proceeds are going to the foundation!
The Event is Feb 16th and Night lift tickets are discounted to $12 for the 6-10pm session. Normal rental rates apply. Hawksnest is also offering free beginner lessons for snowboarders or skiers at the 6:15 and 7:30pm lesson times. For tubing they are discounting the price to $15 for an 1hour and 50 minute session. Sessions are 3-5pm, 5-7pm, and 7-9pm.
So make plans to attend, get in some GREAT skiing and help raise some money for a great group, who in turn is assisting ANOTHER great group – our area school’s teachers!
If you’d like to help in other way, contact Sara Massey for more information or email her at [email protected]. You can also call 828-268-1273 if you’d like to call her. Tell them that SkiNorthCarolina.com sent ya!
We didn’t see a report from
Ski Beech is in epic shape for today. They have seen 1” of snow by 6:30am this morning and another inch since. There’s no word yet as per the opening of The Oz Run, but we’re expecting that anytime. One source up there tells us that they open Oz on Sunday! Conditions are perfect for skiing on all 14 trails that they ARE working with and snow continues to fall!
Wolf Laurel has seen a bit of snow thus far this morning and they too are enjoying the BEST conditions in a couple of years! Snowmaking and natural snows are making for SWEET conditions on all 12 trails that ARE open today on a base of 20-42” of natural and packed powder.
We KNEW it was going to happen, and we hate the timing but…
I swear I think Sugar is testing us this morning! For the FIRST time this season, Sugar is over-reporting the natural snowfall. While all other areas and reporters are reporting 1-2” of snow, Sugar is claiming 3”. Not only have we already received three reports from UP TOP and the bottom of Sugar that are reporting 1-2”, we zoomed the cameras in at the top of the mountain and sorry guys, but they have not received 3” of snow. They will probably have that within an hour or two, but not as of this report 8:30am. We just confirmed that with our reporter and the Sugar Mountain Police Department.
FYI – One source on Beech reported that even though Gil was reporting 1” up there, that she had nearly 5” of snow at her house. Just goes to show you that Sugar’s not the only ones off this morning! We called and confirmed Beech’s snow totals just now at 8:45am with ski patrol and Bernie up there said, “No, no…we’re looking at MAYBE 1.5” right now. It is still snowing, but nothing more than that just yet!”
Until Next Time!
Be sure to email photos, snow reports and comments to: [email protected]