Snowshoe, West Virginia Snowshoe, West Virginia the Village at Snowshoe Mountain the Village at Snowshoe Mountain Coordinates: 38 24 35 N 80 0 51 WCoordinates: 38 24 35 N 80 0 51 W State West Virginia Snowshoe is an unincorporated improve in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States, centering on the Snowshoe Mountain ski resort.
It is situated in the Allegheny Mountains at a bowl shaped convergence of two high mountain ridges Cheat and Back Allegheny Mountains at the head of the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River.
Snowshoe is site of the second highest point in the state and the peak altitude for Cheat Mountain, at Thorny Flat, which reaches 4,848 feet (1,478 m) above sea level.
Snowshoe has a several commercial areas, with the most prominent being The Village at Snowshoe, positioned at the summit of the mountain (rather than at its base).
While the region is still best known for winter activities, today the resort has extensive mountain biking trails, a prominent golf course, wedding and convention areas, a number of summer outside activities, and also hosts a Grand National Cross Country racing event.
About 480,000 skiers visit the region each year, primarily from West Virginia and the larger metros/cities of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
Snowshoe Mountain's large property contains a several developed resort areas, a conservation area, and expansive backcountry that covers 10,950 acres (44.31 km2) in total.
Ski slopes make up 244 acres (0.99 km2) of the resort, which include the Snowshoe Basin, Western Territory, and Silver Creek areas.
The area, then indistinct from Slatyfork, had been logged from about 1905 to 1960, after which it was abandoned.
Thomas "Doc" Brigham identified the mountain and believed it would be a good locale to build a new ski resort.
Brigham, a dentist from North Carolina, had previously opened the Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain ski areas.
Snowshoe Mountain opened to skiing on December 13, 1974.
With a mean temperature of 21 F ( 6 C) (as seen in the climate box below) in January and 64 F (18 C) in July, Snowshoe can be considerably cooler than close-by areas at lower elevations.
The average winter season is just slightly more than 130 days each year, while the spring, summer, and fall seasons typically include a series of sports, recreation, and cultural affairs.
The resort's altitude at nearly a mile high provides for weather conditions that more closely resemble the rigorous winters of Northern New England than the milder climate of the Upland South.
The massive horseshoe formed by the Cheat Mountain Range creates its own micro-climate, incessantly affected by orographic lift of mid-level Great Lake moisture-laden fronts, resulting in massive snowfalls.
Snowshoe averages over 13 feet of natural snow per year.
Climate data for Snowshoe, West Virginia Record high F ( C) 57 Average high F ( C) 29.3 Daily mean F ( C) 21.4 Average low F ( C) 13.5 Record low F ( C) 36 "Snowshoe, West Virginia - Climate Summary".
Municipalities and communities of Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States
Categories:
Unincorporated communities in Pocahontas County, West Virginia - Unincorporated communities in West Virginia
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