Two inches of snow was reported at Mount Mitchell, an inch of snow fell near Banner Elk and in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and about a half-inch covered the ground in Waynesville, said Scott Krentz, a metereologist with the National Weather Service, on Sunday. “Areas at 3,500 feet and above got about a half or so,” he said. The shining sun doesn't mean it's going to warm up right away; Krentz said the forecast calls for temperatures 10 degrees below normal for today, with a high around 59 degrees and an overnight low of 30. A freeze warning was in effect overnight, set to expire at 9 this morning, for much of Western North Carolina.
But the harsh cold isn't bad news for everyone in WNC. The folks at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley started making snow Sunday morning and will open at 1 p.m. today. “It's the earliest opening in our history,” said Tammy Brown, spokeswoman for the ski area. “We are going to stay open as long as we can.” It was 25 degrees when they started making snow at 6:45 a.m. Sunday, Brown said.
Skiers will have to battle the heat before long, though. Warmer weather returns the middle of the week, with highs once again reaching the low 70s and lows in the mid-40s to around 50, according to the National Weather Service.
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