This is an undated contributed photo of a grooming machine reshaping and restoring the slope surfaces at Timberline Mountain in Tucker County.
Courtesy photo
West Virginia’s ski season is set to begin Dec. 5 at both Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Pocahontas County and Timberline Mountain in Tucker County, as a cold snap is expected to arrive in the state’s eastern mountains on Thanksgiving night, producing constant subfreezing temperatures through at least Monday.
While both resorts benefitted from a mid-November snowfall and a suitable-for-snowmaking cold spell, temperatures this week are trending into the 30s and 40s, limiting snowmaking opportunities until after the cold front’s expected arrival on Thursday night.
“The forecast looks very promising for an extended cold snap leading up to the new projected opening day, and we are confident that we will open then with a strong base of snow,†Snowshoe Mountain announced in a statement released on Tuesday.
This is an undated contributed photo of Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Pocahontas County.
Courtesy photo
According to an announcement on Timberline Mountain’s Facebook page on Tuesday, “Beginning this weekend, snowmaking will return in full force. With the team putting all of our efforts into snowmaking, we’re looking forward to having tons of terrain and incredible conditions for Opening Day.â€
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Timberline Mountain’s neighbor, White Grass Touring Center, was hosting its sixth day of cross-country skiing for the season, with 15.5 miles of trails open with a wet, granular surface. So far this season, White Grass had all 31 miles of its trail system open on four days.
Elsewhere in the state, Winterplace Ski Resort in Raleigh County is projecting a Dec. 14 debut for its ski season, with its snow tubing lanes expected to open the following week, while Canaan Valley Resort‘s projected season opener is Dec. 21.
