Conditions are about as good as they get in the Southeast's high
country, with cold temperatures and natural snowfall making this the
perfect time for an extended escape.

Trying to figure out your week? Perhaps we can help with a look at ski conditions for the next several days.

This should come as no surprise, but ski conditions throughout the
Southeast are the best they've been this year. The recent cold has
given the region's ski areas the best snowmaking opportunity of the
2008-09 season. So good, that the following areas are all completely
open: Appalachian, Cataloochee, Sapphire Valley, Sugar Mountain, Bryce, Massanutten, Homestead, Wintergreen — even tiny Cloudmont in Alabama, with it's two, thousand-foot-long slopes and 150-foot vertical, is operating at 100 percent.

Here's the 7:04 a.m. snow report from the GOGF weather center in Cary,
conveniently located between ye olde Cary Towne Centre and Crossroads.
We appear to have two inches at this point and judging from the kids
who we just sent out to play in the street —

I tend to be skeptical when the weather forecast calls for snow.
Probably because I've gotten my hopes up too many times before — only
to awaken in the morning to rain. So while I'm not entirely buying into
the current forecast — 3 to 5 inches as of 3:12 this afternoon — I'll
bite just enough to get the ball rolling on a list of places to play
should it in fact snow 3 to 5 inches tomorrow. I'll throw out some
suggestions, you add to the list.

Good news for you Wintergreen
ski fans. As of today, the Virginia ski area — the most popular
Southeast ski area among Triangle skiers and riders — still has just 12
slopes open and four lifts running. But with continuous snowmaking
planned at least through Sunday, here's how the resort expects to
change that situation.

Here's all you need to know about the state of skiing in the Southeast for at least the next week: According to Ray's Weather, the definitive source for mountain weather, the coldest weather of the winter will descend on the high country this week.

If you've been waiting to make plans for a trip to the slopes, stop
waiting. Winter has returned throughout the Southeast's high country
and the outlook for at least the next week is as good as it's been in a
month.

If you were waiting for the holiday crowds to leave before
contemplating a trip to the slopes ... well, you're going to have to
wait a little longer before conditions will be worth the drive.

If you must get in some skiing or riding this week, the day to go is
Tuesday. And when I say "must" go, that means you must be willing to
part with lots of money and must not mind standing in a lift line.
Christmas — the most pricey and popular ski week (or two) of the year —
has commenced.