(PINPOINT WEATHER) — Cold nights to end the week have helped with snowmaking out on the North Carolina slopes.
Lows will continue to be below freezing over most of the weekend with sunny skies Friday and Saturday.
Rain chances return Sunday into Monday as an unsettled weather pattern takes hold across the Carolinas.
The best day to ski looks to be Saturday.
On the snow or in the air, a thrilling winter experience awaits at Hawksnest Resort.
Hawksnest is home to the East Coast’s largest snow tubing park for those who wish to play in the snow, and a special Snowbird Zipline Tour for those who want to fly through the air.
On the ground, the Hawksnest snow tubing park has four interconnected areas consisting of more than 30 tubing lanes. The lanes are 400 to 1,000 feet in length with two moving carpet lifts that continuously take tubers back to the top for more fun. The tubing park has 100% snowmaking and lighting on all lanes, providing the best possible conditions for the whole family.
Beech Mountain Resort is the highest ski area in the Eastern U.S., with a peak elevation of 5,506 feet.
It has 17 trails – including an expansive terrain park – on 95 skiable acres serviced by eight lifts, including two state-of-the-art Doppelmayr quad lifts installed for the 2018-19 season. The resort’s ski school offers programs for young and old, beginner or advanced. Snowboarding instruction is provided by an on-site Burton Learn-to-Ride Center.
A unique aspect of Beech Mountain Resort is the alpine village at the base of the slopes. The village is home to ice skating, snow tubing, a two-story ski lodge, craft brewery, ski rental shops, outdoor fire pit, snack bar and a souvenir store.
North Carolina’s largest ski area is Sugar Mountain Resort. Sugar offers 21 trails and nine lifts, including a hi-speed detachable six-person chairlift that is the fastest in North Carolina. The peak elevation is 5,300 feet, and Sugar has 115 acres of skiable terrain.
Sugar also boasts the only double black diamond slope in North Carolina, as well as the largest vertical drop (1,200 feet) in the state. Upper Flying Mile is an intermediate slope that connects with Lower Flying Mile for a total run of 1.5 miles long, while Gunther’s Way is the newest slope in the NC High Country. Gunther’s Way is rated difficult and is 2,900 feet in length.
Meanwhile, guided snowshoeing tours are another aspect that makes Sugar unique.
