Ski Resorts Open Early Thanks to Sandy
Nancy Trejos, USA Today Published: Nov 1, 2012, 2:37 PM EDT From our partners
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Boone, N.C.
Eva Miranda, 27, battles through howling wind and snow as she makes her way across the campus at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. Tuesday Oct. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/The News & Observer, Chuck Liddy)
Snowfall resulting from Superstorm Sandy in some parts of the country has been a welcome side effect for ski resorts.
Cataloochee Ski Area, a North Carolina ski resort, opened to the public on Wednesday. It was only the second time in 52 years that the resort opened in October, general manager Chris Bates says. Since Sunday, the resort has gotten 7 inches of snow.
"We've certainly set a record for Halloween," Bates says. "We're one of the fortunate ones that (Sandy) put a positive spin on."
Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia boasted on its website that Sandy had dumped 2 feet of snow on its trails. Although the resort was still dealing with power outages, spokesman David Dekema says it is on track to opening before Thanksgiving. "This is certainly a good start," he says.
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Heavy, wet snow has been falling for two days in the highest elevations of the Appalachian Mountains, with the biggest totals in West Virginia and far western Maryland. Resort operators say they are optimistic that this year will be a big improvement over last, when they recorded their lowest average snowfall in 20 years.
National average snowfall for the 2011-12 season plunged by 41 percent from the prior season. The Southeast was particularly hard hit, with a 57 percent drop in snowfall.
(MORE: Learning a Snow Sport | Check Ski Conditions)
It is too soon to tell how this season will fare, says Troy Hawks, a spokesman for the National Ski Areas Association. Some areas got early snowfall last year but it didn't stay cold enough for the snow to stick, he says.
Still, he says, the early snowfall is good news to a lot of skiers. "Certainly, we're sensing some pent-up demand," he says.
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