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Southeast Drought Not (Yet) Affecting Ski Resorts

By Craig Altschul
October 25, 2007

Still, a persistent and severe drought in the southeastern states - a region accustomed to summer/fall hurricanes and tropical storms - is into its 16th straight month of dry conditions. Some rain earlier this week barely cleared the dust, but the extended forecast is mostly bright and sunny, though a few showers may drip on parts of North Carolina.

But the glass could certainly be looked at as half full in some mountain resort regions. The Industry Report's Justin McAneny, regional editor for OnTheSnow.com, has checked in with ski resort operators and weather officials. Here's his briefing:

Snowshoe, West Virginia's Vice President of Mountain Operations Ed Galford isn't worried. He told McAneny that the resort has approximately 128 million gallons of water stored in its reservoirs. Four river systems run through 40 acres of resort land. "The streams are low but they haven't dried up," he said. "The mountains have a great amount of water. We're expecting a normal late fall."

Doug LeComte, a drought specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center said, "I now think some forms of the drought will linger into winter in most of the Appalachians. It looks like it won't get worse, but will stabilize."

"It's unlikely there will be a drought emergency on the state level," Terry Wagner, chairman of the Virginia Drought Management Task Force told McAneny. "However, as reservoirs are depleted, local actions (restrictions) could be taken."

Wagner said the two biggest water uses are for human consumption during the summer (washing cars, watering lawns) and water that is absorbed by plant life from the end of April through the end of October. Those two usage issues decline as summer ends.

He added that drought restriction plans often overlook snowmaking. "Snowmaking would be considered, but it's something you don't think about," he said.

The reservoir pools at Massanutten Resort, in McGaheysville, Va., are full now, but there hasn't been anything to replenish them. "Without rain, it's going to make snowmaking tough," said Steve Showalter, general manager. "We're hoping for a tropical rain pattern."

The effect of the drought is being felt south in North Carolina. According to Jamie Kritzer, spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, the ski resorts "need to put together a water shortage response plan, showing what will be done in a continuing drought emergency." He said the ski areas aren't required to shut down, and added that "most of the resorts are self-sufficient."

Justin Grimes, director of snow sports at Hawksnest Resort, in Seven Devils N.C., isn't anticipating a problem. "At 5,000 feet," he told McAneny. "We're not under the same conditions. We're not anticipating any problems. It's nice being up high."

The glass that isn't half full is hoping for some help from "up high."

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