Black Dome’s Asheville Outdoors Guide

I’ll bet you wrote off this winter, didn’t you? Now we’ve got three inches (or more)Â on the way today and another snowstorm due next week! Ski resorts are back in a big way, with most mountains close to being entirely open, if not already entirely open.

According to Ray’s Weather Center, our favorite source for weather information, the winter snows have only just begun. When Ray issued his “Fearless Forecast” for winter 2006-2007, he noted this winter would be influenced by the mild El Niño. Note this passage:

“Other characteristics of weak El Niño winters are: “big thump snows” and big finishes in March and April.”

Black Dome still has some jackets and snowboarding gear, and it’s all 25-50% off. If you were thinking winter would be over soon, you were wrong — this is just the beginning…
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The weather forecast has us waxing our boards in anticipation of a great weekend. The cold front coming in will allow the resorts to blow some major snow, and Mother Nature might even provide some real snow to help out.

If you head up to Wolf Ridge (formerly known as Wolf Laurel), check out the new Breakaway Village expansion, which includes a new ski run, terrain park, village, quad lift and snow-making equipment. The village has a new grill and coffee shop, too.

Thanks to cold temperatures and 5-6 inches of snow, winter seems to finally have arrived in Western North Carolina. If you haven’t ventured out yet, now’s the time to dust off your equipment and get stoked about skiing and snowboarding.Â

Cataloochee still hasn’t opened the top, but a very cold front from the Arctic could give them the chance to blow enough snow up there in the coming weeks.Â

Sugar and Beech did a good job battling December’s warm weather, and have just gotten better.Â

Wolf Ridge has shut down temporarily, but the wait will be worth it. The resort is taking advantage of this opportunity to rebuild its base, and is scheduled to reopen tomorrow.

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Get outfitted for the cold weather at Black Dome. Save 35% on all Columbia and save 25% on all other winter apparel, including hats and gloves.Â

SkiNC and WNCW.org have reported that Catalochee Ski Area plans to open this Saturday, once again becoming the first ski area in the East to open. They opened last year on Nov. 17.

Here’s to a great winter!

Did you see snow on Monday?

Rumor has it that Mt. Mitchell received five inches.

Jerry Garcia, the wooly worm, predicts four weeks of epic powder in Western North Carolina, followed by eight more weeks of so-so conditions.

We’ll see….