Despite the lack of a prolonged cold snap, as well as some recent rainy weather, that hasn’t stopped skiing enthusiasts for heading up to Ober Gatlinburg when they to Sevierville. In fact, quite the opposite. Thanks to some new snow making equipment, the resort has built up quite reserve of snow to keep skiers and snowboarders plenty happy this year.
In fact, Ober Gatlinburg has seen a surge in visitors since it opened its slopes just a few Sundays ago. Lots of folks are sliding down the slopes despite less than ideal conditions.
“We’ve been getting very good crowd responses for the last couple of days,” said John Cossaboom, Ober Gatlinburg winter sports director.
Up until a few weeks ago, the area had seen much more rainfall than average and just a few scattered days of actual snowfall.
“Certainly the rain has affected the amount of coverage we have, but there’s plenty built up and we know how to retain the snow, so even when the rain comes we’re still going to be skiing,” he said.
The snow looks to be sticking as skiers have continued to fly down the slopes and snowtubers keep the lines long at the resort. It looks to be a reoccurring theme this year after the previous year’s season was cut short due to a lack of snowfall. According to most, the snow was pretty smooth on opening weekend.
“It was a little slushy, but it’s understandable considering it’s been raining,” said one skier.
A little snow in the forecast wouldn’t be problem either, just for people driving up the mountain from Sevierville to reach the resort.
“The biggest impact it has is on the ability of our guests to reach us,” said Cossaboom. “If the roads are snow-covered, they’re probably going to sit tight because they’re not accustomed to driving in it.”