Lack of rain doesn't stop snowmaking at ski resorts

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Ski resort operators in North Carolina say the ongoing drought doesn't change how they operate, especially when it comes to making snow.

Snowmaking requires water, but several resorts say they maintain their own reservoirs fed by natural springs and melting snow reclaimed off the mountains.

Appalachian Ski Mountain began making snow last Thursday, and the resort plans to open its slopes before Thanksgiving, as it has done for 9 of the past 12 years.

Areas of Western North Carolina received between a trace to an inch of snow Thursday night and Friday morning. The National Weather Service's 90-day outlook for the period starting in December predicts below-normal precipitation and temperatures above normal.

Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, west of Asheville, opened Nov.7. The resort makes snow with water from its own pond fed by springs. General manager Chris Bates said he's monitoring flows more carefully this year, but he's not worried.

Source: wavy.com