Oh the Weather Outside is....

frightful.  Not exactly frightful, just a little confused.  We had snow on Thanksgiving Day!  And then we had snow a couple of weeks later.  But in between the snow there have been days of 50 degree weather.  This past weekend we saw a bitterly cold Saturday where they were calling for a wintry mix overnight.  We woke up Sunday morning to pouring down rain and temperatures in the 50's.  Then Monday morning, schools in Avery and Watuaga County were delayed due to ice, only to see the temperature get up to 60 degrees in Valle Crucis by the afternoon!  While those of us who live here are used to the ups and downs of the weather, it does make it difficult for the ski slopes to operate.  We tell people, "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it will change."  This also makes it difficult for us in the tourist industry to answer those yearly phone calls where people ask, "Will it be snowing on Christmas?  We are coming to ski and wanted to know if it would be snowing."  Uh...your guess is as good as mine!