Updated: 3-3-08 |
What a way to start off March…the snow just kept coming and coming last week, and when it was all said and done, we had 16” of fresh powder and had finally passed the century mark for the season. We’ve now had 111” since the first flakes fell in October, and there is more snow in the forecast for the end of the week.
All that new snow made for amazing conditions Thursday-Sunday morning. I know I’ve said it a few times this season, but I think this past week might have been the best conditions of the season. I spent almost all weekend on the slopes, as my family finally got the opportunity to make it down, and it was absolutely fantastic out there. Sunday the weather was milder and the morning was gorgeous—bluebird skies, plenty of sun and still excellent conditions. But mid-day, as layers began to come off, the snow got a little bit sticky, and by 3 or 4pm, I think a lot of people were content to take their sunburn inside and grab a beer.
We’ll continue in this mild patch for the next few days, following the pattern we’ve had all season of great snowy, winter weather, followed by temperatures and precipitation that seem more appropriate for April or May. But, on the other side of the mild temps and a storm that could bring up to an inch of rain tomorrow is snow and cold weather that will allow us to restart snowmaking efforts. With just four weeks to go in the season, I don’t think this ugly patch should hurt us too bad. Tomorrow might not be too pleasant on the hill, but I think by this weekend things should be back in great shape, with any small thin or bare spots perfectly repaired. As I’ve preached all season long, our early snowmaking efforts, combined with an expert team has allowed us to maintain great conditions all season and I’m sure they will stay that way through the end of the month.
The National Weather Service is right now predicting ideal conditions for this weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday should be sunny, with snowmaking temperatures overnight. Daytime highs will hover around 35, perfect for skiing and riding. That’s good news as we have a group of 80+ skiers and riders coming into town for the first annual Skisoutheast.com Summit. If you’re not familiar with the site, I suggest you check it out. Mike Doble runs the show over there and does an amazing job keeping skiers and riders informed of conditions and events at all the southeast ski areas. They have a very active message board and blogging community, with members sharing information, trail reports, tips and tricks as well as some fantastic photos. You can also access webcams from several local resorts (sorry, none here) and here from meteorologists and snow-industry veterans from the area. For those of you who miss Joe Stevens input in this very column, as the spokesperson for the WV Joe now has a column over there. It’s a great site with tons of information and some great people and I can’t wait to have them up next weekend!
Well, I’m going to take my own advice and take advantage of the sunshine and snow and go make some turns with my family before they return to Boston. Have a great week and remember to keep thinking SNOW!
