Area Forecast This link is to one of the more reliable forecasts that I've found!
Thursday Feb 28…9:30 AM Snowed all night and was only 8 degrees at dawn, 11 degrees now. The 10”-12” that fell is light and dry, fluffy Pow-Pow…and still coming down!! Forecast is for more snow and some sort of “winter precipitation event” Friday/Friday night although I am predicting cold enough temperatures for it to remain all snow. That being the case, what are you doing reading this on the computer? Pack your stuff, put your dog in the kennel, get in the car, and we’ll see you this weekend!!!
Wed. 2/27…10:00 AM Don’t want to sound redundant, but it’s dumping out! Heavy snow warning posted with 3”-5” falling overnight and an additional 4”-6” predicted for today and 3”-5” for tonight. Temperatures are low (16 degrees), so the snow is light and dry! Governor’s Cup Ski Races this weekend at Canaan Valley Resort with the GS on Saturday and the SL on Sunday. Also at Canaan is the ever-famous Wild Thing Weekend with the pond jump and other sorts of family fun! Timberline Resort is sporting a full dance card with rail jams, free music, and lots of activities. Chip at Whitegrass Ski Touring is turning back flips as this snow continues to pile up. Check out the Cross Country trails at Blackwater Falls State Park. It’s a great opportunity to GET OUTSIDE AND DO SOMETHING!!!
Thursday 2/21/08…early:30… Call it what you will, Pow-Pow, Freshies, Powder! My guess would be we got 8”-9” over the past 12 hours!! MORE ON THE WAY with an additional 4”-5” in the forecast through Saturday. 12 degrees below 0 at the house (3300’) on the Valley floor this morning with a whopping 1 above on Canaan Heights (3700’)…heat inversion!! The sun is out and the guns are on at both areas!! I’ve been wrong before, but this looks like a great weekend to visit!! There will be cross-country available with great conditions…snowshoeing, ice skating, and just about any other outdoor winter activity!! Wed. February 20…noon ish…The snow continues to fall and all of the local school systems are dismissing early. The snowflakes are small, but just continuous, and really piling up. The 2”-4” that were predicted has already accumulated with more on its way. This weekend is really panning out to be a good one! Both areas are making snow and Chip at Whitegrass is ecstatic! Check the lodging pages on this site and make your arrangements!! The WV Governors Cup ski race is at Canaan Valley Resort on the 1st and 2nd of March and there are plenty of age groups to compete in!! Tuesday, Feb 19, 9:00 AM…Heavy snow squalls with steady light snow in between has piled up a couple of inches since last night. Forecast has NO temperatures above freezing before the weekend with snow 4 of 5 days!! President’s Day weekend is behind us and all went well! Good crowds and conditions! Historically, the weekend following the holiday is fairly slow so…no lines, good lodging choices, and (from the looks of the forecast) great conditions! Get your Ski the Valley pass and ski both mountains! Tuesday 2/12/08, 10:00 AM…Absolutely Dumping! 3”-4” overnight and (currently) snowing an inch an hour!! Limited lodging availability for the upcoming holiday weekend, but there is some. Looking forward at March, we often see warm spring temperatures at the lower elevations while the Valley continues to get pounded with large spring storms. The snow depths are up, as are the sun and the temperatures. The only things that are down would be the rates!! The West Virginia Governors Cup races will be held at Canaan Valley Resort on March 1 (GS) and March 2 (SL). Join us for the longest running race in the Southeast!! Snowy Luau at Timberline is not far off!!
1/29/08…Kind of mild out today although cold and wind in the forecast! MLK was a good weekend although the 26th/27th was better! After all the snow and cold, Canaan had just about everything open, either with man-made or natural. Runs were made on all three Meadows, Gravity, Dark Side, and more! Timberline had some great offerings as well with folks in and out of the trees, glades, steeps and not-so-steeps!! Whitegrass Ski Touring Center hosted a clinic featuring tele-guru Dickie Hall and the skiing was phenomenal. All weekend long there were folks skiing out to Dolly Sods, over Bald Knob and just about anywhere! Goes to show you that there is tons o'fun to be had above 4200'. Join in the fun! Peruse this website and make your winter sports vacation plans soon. Lodging availability is still good for the upcoming Presidents Day weekend. Arc 'em or park 'em!!!
1/16/08…12”-14” storm total and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon! Continued cold and snow flurries through the weekend. Both mountains are making tons o’the white stuff with more terrain to open in plenty of time for the long weekend. Check out the Rail Jam competition at Timberline on Saturday, take a snowshoe hike out of Whitegrass Ski Touring Center and enjoy plenty of good food and beverages at a wide selection of restaurants!
1/15/08…It started snowing on Sunday evening and hasn’t quit yet! When I let the dog out this morning, it was snowing so hard it looked like fog! 8”-10“ total so far with more snow and cold on it’s way!! A perfect set-up for a good MLK Weekend! Both downhill areas are making snow and will be opening more terrain all week. Go to the lodging pages on this site and get started with your MLK weekend planning. There are still good lodging options available and the skiing/riding should be the best of the year!!
1/7/08…Weekend Update! Snuck out of the office on Friday afternoon for a “product evaluation” session in full sunshine and 28 degrees. Timberline had Salamander, White Lightning, and Off The Wall open from the top. Lightning had bumped up from top to bottom and was in great shape. Off The Wall had huge whales in it and was a hoot! Canaan Valley Resort opened some terrain from the top and had some cut-back trails opened as well. Deep bases at both areas won’t be hurt by this little warming spell. Don’t wait until the last minute to make reservations for the upcoming MLK Weekend. Check the lodging pages on this site before the best selections are gone!!! Even after last year’s slow start, the area received 189” of natural!!!
1/2/08…Stormed all night and the bottom dropped out of the thermometer. 6”-8” of fresh overnight and it’s still storming with 5”-7” expected today. 8 degrees this morning and the wind chill is well below zero. Whitegrass Ski Touring Center has 50 KM of their trail system open and the downhill areas are making snow and should have more trails soon!!
1/1/08…Happy New Year!! And what a nice way to start ’08! 1”-2” of fresh on the porch this morning and it is supposed to storm all day! Both ski areas are recovering and getting set to open more terrain.
12/21/07..."snapped" off about 6,000 vertical feet this morning at Timberline!! The rumors were true, White Lightning was open to the top and it was nice to arc 'em a little!! Nice mix of manmade and natural AND the sun came out a bit!! Canaan will open tomorrow (Saturday the 22nd) with two lifts servings some beginning terrain and the "main drag" from midstation. Tomorrow, Sunday and Monday skiers can take advantage of the early season Ski the Valley pass!! This two day pass is available at the lift ticket windows at either resort and is valid at both!! 12/20/07...some snow 4-6 over the last week with very cold temps!! Canaan Valley Resort will open this Saturday the 22nd with skiing from midstation. Rumor on the street has it that Timberline might be opening White Lightning and Salamander from the top this weekend. "Tuckers" restaurant has reopened!! A nice time, good food and the bubbly beverage of choice can be had by all!! 12/6/07...14"-16" since Monday the 3rd!! Below zero temps this morning allowed the snowmaking crews at both resorts to crank up the water and make tons of the white stuff. Timberline will open on Saturday the 8th with trails from midstation of their mountain with Canaan still targeting the 22nd as the day to drop the ropes! Check lodging pages for choice accommodations during the Christmas to New Years holiday. The good ones are going fast! 12/4/07...6"-8" and still coming down! 18 degrees and the wind chill is a balmy 6. Visited some snowmakers at Timberline last night. All guns were running and a lot of the large piles had been pushed out in anticipation of a Thursday opening with terrain to the top! Stopped at Canaan Valley Resort and there were a lot of guns running on the lower part of the mountain. Will keep this updated as we are expecting much more snow over the next 24-36 hours! 12/3/07...Howling is the word of the day! The bottom dropped out of the thermometer last night and the winds kicked up as did the snow! Currently 24 degrees and continuing to fall. 5"-6" expected by this time tomorrow. Timberline is still looking at Thursday the 6th as their opening date and they should have fantastic conditions! Lodging is still available for the Christmas to New Years holiday week...make plans soon. Find the lodging pages on this site and start planning!! 11/28/07...Won't be long now! Both areas are making snow whenever the temps allow and the forecast looks good! We here at the Convention & Visitors Bureau hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and has had the opportunity to get to the gym to work off that extra serving of mashed potatos and gravy! 11/16/07...23 degrees, windy and 3"-4" has fallen overnight. Chip and the good folks at Whitegrass Ski Touring Center will be skiing today and through the weekend. The famous Whitegrass Snow Farm grew about 12" and will provide 5K+ of trails!! A reminder...planning to join us over the Christmas-New Years Holiday? The sooner you can make lodging arrangements, the better chance you have of getting the lodging that best suits your needs!!! Go to our lodging pages and check 'em out! 11/15/07 Click on the weather link...snow advisory in effect until the end of the week with the possibility of 5"-7" before its over! Timberline Resort is rolling their new guns out and should be starting snowmaking operations soon with a December 6th opening planned! Canaan Valley Resort is still looking to open the tubing hill by Thanksgiving! Accurate Forecasts Check with both ski areas for their opening weekend specials! Chip, Laurie and the good folks at Whitegrass Ski Touring Center should be skiing before then! 11/8/07...Just returned from a conference out of town and there was a "skiff" of snow on the ground with the morning temps in the mid-teens. On my way out of the Valley, I noticed that Timberline was making snow!! Won't be long now!! 11/3/07 Snow is in the forecast!! This link is to one of the more accurate forecasts for this area...bookmark it! Accurate Forecasts 11/2/07 It’s “frost on the pumpkin” time with temperatures this morning dipping to 18 degrees! Tentative opening dates have been set (weather dependant) by both ski areas. Timberline Four Seasons Resort will begin ski operations on December 6th while Canaan Valley Resorts is targeting December 22nd as the day to fire up the lifts. The Tubing Hill at Canaan should be in operation by Thanksgiving Day!! Check with both ski areas for their opening weekend specials! Chip and the good folks at Whitegrass Ski Touring Center will be skiing before then! If you are planning to visit during the Christmas/New Years holiday, make your plans soon so you can get the lodging you want! Want to work at a ski resort? Timberline Four Seasons Resort is still looking for office and food/beverage help. Contact “Doc” at rmh300sd@aol.com. We’ll be attending the DC Ski Show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA on November 9-11, so stop by the booth if you are in the area!! Rumor has it there will be some free Ski the Valley lift tickets available!! Until next time!!
Smitty
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