Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.misc From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Pinatubo solves resorts' mountain of a problem Date: Sun, 1 Nov 92 20:06:09 EST Message-ID: \SE E;TRAVEL \HD Pinatubo solves resorts' mountain of a problem \BY Tom Carter \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES After four years of less than cooperative weather, the most exciting thing to happen to this winter's mid-Atlantic skiing actually took place in the Philippines in the summer of 1991. On June 16, 1991, the Philippine volcano Mount Pinatubo blew millions of tons of ash into the atmosphere. The ash, which continues to blanket the earth, blocks the sun. The net result has been a global cooling trend of about 1 degree to 1.5 degrees. While it has been warmer than usual in the Western United States, since January, the Washington area has been colder and wetter than it has been in decades. While that does not necessarily translate into a snowy winter, hope is high. "Cold and wet, it's a ski operator's dream," said Sally Bray, a spokeswoman at Whitetail Ski Area in Mercersberg, Pa. "We'd like to see what this mountain can be." July in Washington was the third coldest on record. August was the coolest in 47 years, 3.6 degrees cooler than normal. Herb Stevens, the "Skiing Weatherman" who is seen locally on News Channel 8, says he would not be surprised to see a cold and snowy winter for mid-Atlantic skiers. "There are a couple of large-scale meterological phenomena that would favor that," Mr. Stevens says by phone from his home in Rhode Island. "The first is the volcanic ash from Mount Pinatubo. The evidence is strong that it has knocked the temperatures down 1 degree or 1.5 degrees. "The second thing is that El Nino, [a Pacific Ocean current] which was present last winter, is gone. This will allow the north and south branches of the jet stream to hook up more often, and this is a primary ingredient for large snowstorms, whoppers. These large-scale features spell optimism for the ski industry. This year I think you can look for more exciting weather." There is no direct corrolation between cool summers and cold winters, Mr. Stevens says. But he is "guardedly optimistic" that the absence of El Nino could "open up the Arctic floodgates for the cold weather." Since the most recent winters have been so warm, there has been little extra revenue lying around to use to upgrade existing ski facilities. But, many of the local resorts have done minor work: * Bryce Resort, in Basye, Va., has added some new snowmaking capacity. * Massanutten, in Harrisonburg, Va., has increased snowmaking by 39 percent, put lights on the racing slope and expanded night hours for the 1992-93 season. * Canaan Valley, in Davis, W.Va., has a new valley-wide shuttle service, and it has increased snow-making by 35 percent. * Snoeshow, in Slatyfork, W.Va., has bought Silver Creek on the lower part of the mountain, so a lift ticket at Snowshoe will be good at Silver Creek as well. This means that Snowshoe and Silver Creek together would have 49 trails that would make the five-hour drive from Washington worthwhile. * Seven Springs, in Champion, Pa., has added additional intermediate terrain, 50 acres, to the North Face. It has also added snowmobile rentals (do not bring your own) and sleigh rides. * Whitetail has added new area for beginners, which should relieve some of the congestion in the base area. This year Whitetail will institute a "limited ticket sales," policy to ease congestion on the mountain. But all the facilities in the world will do nothing if the temperature stays as warm as it has been in the recent past. "Everyone of our recent forcasts have called for below-normal temperatures," says Ed Olenick of the National Weather Service. "That is a trend. So [for skiers] this is hopeful information." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM