Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 4, 1990 TAG: 9003052180
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID BARUDIN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In contrast, December was the most dramatically frigid in recent history, and the snowiest month that most locals can remember.
"We were measuring our snow base in feet," said Mike Cline, WinterPlace general manager.
December snows brought out record numbers of skiers. The season was off to a blockbuster start. In fact, the region boasted the best ski conditions in the country.
"I know. I was in Colorado skiing on very thin machine-made surface, watching the Weather Channel reports of blizzards in the Carolina mountains.
Christmas week at Southeastern resorts warmed up perfectly to the mid-20s. Nearly every resort was skiing to capacity. WinterPlace had 52 percent more business than any previous Christmas.
Then came January.
Starting on New Year's Eve, rain and consistent 50- and 60-degree days marked the mildest 56-day winter period ever in the region. The extended warm weather forced many early closings among Virginia and North Carolina areas, and severely curtailed operations at West Virginia resorts.
Not until last week did West Virginia again feel the arctic flow of cold air. Whether the bite in the air will rekindle skiers' enthusiasm remains to be seen.
"We didn't get to go for awhile," said Brian McAninch, 19, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. "But now that it's back, we're back. We came twice this week, and will probably come another three times."
"Hopefully, with the turn-around in weather, we'll see a real solid March," said Bill Wagner, marketing manager at Snowshoe Resort, where winter temperatures have averaged in the mid-40s. "What's hurt us more than anything is it's been in the 60s and 70s in our marketplaces."
President's Day Weekend, the peak holiday period of the Southeastern season, saw some 13,200 skiers at Snowshoe, the most ever to ski in a three-day period in the region. Holiday skiers found much the same conditions as existed in December, when Snowshoe and Cheat Mountain neighbor Silver Creek Resort were blanketed with 75 inches of powder snow.
The early snow, coupled with continuous snowmaking through December were the reasons why most West Virginia areas were able to keep skiing when many other Southeastern areas faced temporary shutdowns in January and February.
All Snowshoe's primary slopes, with the exception of Widowmaker, remain open. The March discount season, when lift and lodging rates can drop by 35 percent, is shaping up to be a skiers' market.
The National Weather Service forecast is for colder than normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Last week, Cheat Mountain had a 10-inch snow dump.
Timberline Resort and Canaan Valley Resort Park, in the Davis, W.Va., area, are counting on this forecast to lure skiers back.
"We're not giving up on anything," said John Lutz, mountain manager at the resort park. "There's a lot of good skiing left, and we'll make snow for three more weeks."
Two recent cold fronts brought the first 10-day stretch of below-freezing temperatures to the area since December.
"We can have the slopes back to midwinter form," said Lutz, who plans to operate until April 1.
The unseasonably mild winter took its greatest toll in Virginia and North Carolina, where most ski areas closed temporarily.
"I'm here 23 seasons, and this is the worst," said Manfred Locher, general manager at Bryce Resort in Basye. "We always have a one- or two-week warm spell, but we usually have a day or two of cold each week to carry us through.
"I don't think we'll get very many more skiers, even if it snowed 2 feet today. People have lost interest."
Locher said he plans to close Bryce's one remaining open trail next Sunday.
At Wintergreen, where the skiing is on Dobie Slope, Potato Patch and Eagle's Swoop, there have been about 60,000 fewer skiers this year than last.
Even through Wintergreen's most-popular runs like Big Acorn and The Highlands are bare, the snow base is substantial on the remaining trails. I skied late in the afternoon, when the surface usually turns mushy, and was surprised to find it firm and quick.
"We'll do anything it takes to put snow on the slopes and keep it in good shape for our skiers," said Tony Waddell, assistant ski area manager at Wintergreen.
Managers plan to keep the resort open through the third weekend in March.
by CNB