Anxious For Snow

Christmas songs are on the radio, stores have stocked the shelves with Christmas candy and some folks have already decorated their homes with lights. The only thing that seems to be missing from our early Christmas season cheer is the fluffly white stuff. So where is the snow and when is it coming?

While Joe Bastardi predicted that the snow would be coming early and there'd be lots of it, we aren't seeing it in the forecast for our area just yet. With our snowmaking system at Liberty, however, we can make the snow appear sooner than Mother Nature. Favorable snowmaking temps are not in the forecast for this week. What about next week?

Looking ahead, Mountain Manager Ron Crozier likes what he sees in next week's forecast. Favorable snowmaking temps are predicted to hit the area which may be enough to get the snowmaking equipment ready. After that, we'll need 2-3 nights of good snowmaking and then we'll be able to get the groomers out. However, in the early stages of snowmaking, one turn of cold-to-warm temperatures could bring all snowmaking efforts to a standstill, and the snow that was already made could quickly disappear.

Since the weather forecast for next week could change drastically between now and then, it's hard to say when exactly snowmaking will begin at Liberty. With the Christmas season near full swing, it's definitely time for some snow, and we hope to get some on the mountain soon!

Read all about snowmaking - how it works and what it takes - by visiting our Snowmaking 101 page on the website.

And because posts are much better with pictures, here are some pictures of last year's snowmaking at Liberty.

Everyone wants to know...

When Liberty will be open for the 2009-2010 winter season! It's the hot question right now - "When is opening day?" Our most recent sampling of cold temperatures and early winter-like weather conditions combined with Joe Bastardi's prediction of an early, cold, snowy winter, caused quite a stir amongst the snow sport enthusiasts. It was only natural for people to begin asking the ever-popular opening day question. So when will opening day be for Liberty Mountain?

Our goal is to be open by the first weekend in December. If cold temperatures return and we're able to make snow sooner than later, the season could begin in late November. However, it's not just cold temperatures that allow snowmaking to occur. With the right combination of certain weather elements (low humidity, compressed air and others), including cold temperatures, our snow guns can get to work and start covering the mountain for the season.

Our snowmaking system can actually make 1,175 tons of snow per hour! Pretty cool, huh? There's lots of cool stuff involved in snowmaking and you can learn more about it by reading our "Snowmaking 101" page on the website. Or you can read the Baltimore Sun's most recent article about skiing and the upcoming winter season. In the article, our mountain manager Ron Crozier discusses the different elements of snowmaking and how it all works. If you need your winter/snow sport excitement fix for the day, you should definitely check it out!



Don't forget to check out our website often for more updates on the start of snowmaking and opening day for the new season. Before you know it, we'll be seeing you on the slopes!