Season’s Up and Running!

The Current NC Ski Report…

The hectic holidays - and the unusually warm spell that accompanied them this year - are behind us. Temperatures dropped into the teens as New Year’s Day came to its early close and snow fell across the western mountains. Snow making machines have been cranked up and are supplying base for the several great snowtubing runs at various WNC resorts, and the higher elevation slopes did manage to retain enough base to keep the skiers and snowboarders happy during the warm spell. From Cataloochee’s page…

As of 8pm. on Tuesday [Jan. 1], it is a chilly 19 degrees and it has been snowing since 4pm. We have received 2 inches of natural snow and the snow is forecast to continue into Wednesday. Snow making weather is in the forecast for most of the upcoming week and we will begin to make it as quickly as the temperatures allow. In an effort to capture the colder weather and maximize snowmaking to improve conditions and open more terrain, Cataloochie guests should expect snowmaking to be in progress during skiing hours if temperatures permit for this week. Please be prepared for winter conditions with hats and goggles and please dress accordingly.

Cataloochie’s TubeWorld runs in Maggie Valley hopes to open on Thursday, January 3 with new base. In the ski area the new snow will add to the 20-36″ packed powder base already present at the higher elevation. Seven trails are open along with 5 lifts, and the area will host an ‘Everything’s Elvis Day’ on Sunday, January 6 which promises to be a lot of fun.

At Appalachian Ski Mountain near Boone there is a current 18-32″ base of packed powder, snowmaking is ongoing during the night, and they received several inches of natural snow. 4 of 5 lifts are open along with 6 of 10 trails. The ice skating rink is open.

Hawsnest is currently open after a delay due to high winds, and their tubing runs are open as well. Ski Beech has 4 of 15 slopes open on a minimal base depth of 8-18″ mixed packed powder and frozen granular. Their ice rink is open as well.

Sugar Mountain resort has 12-38″ of mixed powder and frozen granular. 5 lifts servicing 9 slopes are open, as is their ice rink. Tubing is still closed. On Saturday, January 12, they’ll be hosting the National Winter Trails Day event, offering both snowshoes and guided snowshoe tours free to all comers.

Wolf Ridge Ski Resort has 12-28″ of natural and manmade powder, 5 slopes open and 3 lifts operating. Snowmaking is ongoing and they’ve received 4 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours. Their terrain park is closed, but the tubing park is open. Sapphire Valley ski area is not yet open, though its Frozen Falls Tube Park is open day to day. Now that the weather’s turned cold, they should be opening very soon.

The ski reports are updated regularly at Weather Underground, so do bookmark that page! And for a full roster of direct links to the on-site web cams, resort schedules, directions and trail maps, check out the NC Ski report and snow condition Guide. We’ll see you on the slopes!

Links:

Weather Underground

NC Ski report and snow condition Guide

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Filed under Snow Tubing, Resorts, Snowboarding, Ski Resorts, Winter Sports, Sports |