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Recap of First Snowstorm in the High Country

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Heavy, wet snow fell on the High Country during the first winter storm of the season. Photos by Ken Ketchie

By Jesse Wood

Nov. 3, 2014. More than 2,000 customers in the Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation suffered from power outages at some point over the weekend during the first snowstorm of the 2014-15 winter season, which helped Sugar Mountain Resort become one of the first resorts in the country to open for skiing and snowboarding.

Visitors to the High Country made a snowman near the Lowe's store in Banner Elk.
Visitors to the High Country made a snowman near the Lowe’s store in Banner Elk.

More than 1,000 of those power outages took place in Watauga County on Saturday and Sunday with the majority happening in the Peoria, Silverstone, Cove Creek, Valle Crucis, Hound Ears and Dutch Creek communities.

Power restoration was complete on Sunday afternoon “after linemen worked throughout the weekend to repair weather-related damage to the electric system,” according to BREMCO.

For the most part, the High Country experienced heavy, wet snow that was perfect for making snowmen –  and taking out power lines and knocking down tree limbs.

While nearly two feet of snow fell along the North Carolina-Tennessee line in between Madison County and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the High Country received considerably less.

Here is a snow report from RaysWeather.com for areas in Watauga, Avery and Ashe counties:

Avery County:

  • Banner Elk 5″
  • Beech Mtn 8.5″
  • Linville 3″
  • Jonas Ridge 1″

Ashe County:

  • Creston 2.5″
  • Fleetwood 4.5″
  • Grassy Creek 2″
  • Lansing 3.5″
  • Laurel Springs 4.5″
  • Todd 4″
  • West Jefferson 5.3″

Watauga County:

  • Bethel 5″
  • Blowing Rock 3″
  • Boone 3-4″
  • Deep Gap 5″
  • Hound Ears 3″
  • Rich Mtn 7″
  • Seven Devils 4″
  • Sugar Grove 5-6″
  • Valle Crucis 4-5″
  • Zionville 6″

 

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Boone received three to four inches of snow on Saturday.
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A lot of drivers turned right at this intersection to go skiing and snowboarding at Sugar Mountain Resort on Sunday.
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Sugar Mountain Resort has a base of 10 to 32 inches thanks to eight to 10 inches of natural snow and the snow guns.
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The heavy, wet snow caused more than 2,000 power outages over the weekend.
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A little bit of fall color still exists and provides a nice contrast to the white snow on Sunday.