I've been in this area long enough that all of the winters are starting to blend together...I know that we have had winters where temps were extremely mild thru mid January, at which point the switch was flipped and we had sustained cold and snow for the next two months. Can anyone remember the last time this happened?
I saw this on another message board. Doesn't speak for temps but there have been a few lows for snowfall
Wow. No december snow at all in 1985 and 1990.
Ok,
I went to the Canaan Mountain Snowfall page available from the whitegrass page:
http://data.canaanmtnsnow.com/
From the data there, I came up with the dec - apr snowfall for each winter going back to 2001/2002. I excluded the Sept - Nov snowfall since I am only interested in looking forward from december. For each winter, here is the december snowfall and the total dec-apr snowfall:
| Year | dec | dec-apr |
|---|---|---|
| 2014/2015 | 8.7 | 122.5 |
| 2013/2014 | 26.5 | 157.5 |
| 2012/2013 | 29.6 | 183.7 |
| 2011/2012 | 16.4 | 93.3 |
| 2010/2011 | 71 | 208.6 |
| 2009/2010 | 48.4 | 240.4 |
| 2008/2009 | 15.2 | 133.4 |
| 2007/2008 | 27.6 | 148.3 |
| 2006/2007 | 11.2 | 187.1 |
| 2005/2006 | 35.7 | 138 |
| 2004/2005 | 25.7 | 158 |
| 2003/2004 | 51.4 | 185.4 |
| 2002/2003 | 37.5 | 222.3 |
| 2001/2002 | 15.5 | 77.8 |
Looks like the winter I was thinking of was 2006/2007.
I remember 2010 and 2011 as the years my dogs almost drowned in the snow!...They had to keep jumping up out just to get a breath...
only a couple sub 100 inch snowfalls for the Valley in the last 15 years is great...I remember when we had 100 inches of snow in Damascus md and it seemed like a ton!
This winter for the east will come on early to mid Jan...and then dump on Canaan till april!!!
The key here is the temperatures, without that data we know little about December ski conditions in WV. The problem this year, especially for Snowshoe and it's mighty snowmaking system is the lack of cold weather! If we had no natural snow but frequent temps to make snow, Snowshoe would have most if not all of the resort open by now!!! We need consistent normal or below temps!
The Colonel
The key here is the temperatures, without that data we know little about December ski conditions in WV. The problem this year, especially for Snowshoe and it's mighty snowmaking system is the lack of cold weather! If we had no natural snow but frequent temps to make snow, Snowshoe would have most if not all of the resort open by now!!! We need consistent normal or below temps!
The Colonel
It's painful to see people on facebook pages for resorts I frequent, asking the resort when they are going to open. What makes it worse for example is when a Pittsburgher asks this on a 7Spring facebook post. I really wonder how these people have jobs, pump gas, order 'chipped ham', or remember to breath...
Yes - it boils down to the requirements for snow making which are below freezing temps and low humidity or, below 25 degrees. The sweet spot is at 10 degrees. That's when output is double for good snowmakers. I really hope snowshoe opens up Cupp. At this point, it's worth the drive in place of my local option which is, quite literally to watch grass grown.
I'm personally ready to go to try and make a white xmas if we get the cold temps tomorrow. I have my air compressor, my pressure washer, my homebuilt snowmaker and am ready to blow snow at home. :)
Let it snow let it snow let it snow Bring on the COLD temps!
Yeah we are now all focused on manmade snow? sad state of affairs, multiple WROD do not a season make...need to get into the trees. I'm sure we will still get some great storms and it will be a matter of getting it at all costs when they occur
