CORTLAND, W.Va. — High in the Allegheny Mountains in eastern West Virginia lies a scenic valley which a Canadian-like climate in which it can snow 10 months out of the year.
Though only two hours from the Washington beltway, the Canaan Valley receives more snow than the snowiest reporting station in Maine and a shorter growing season than Fairbanks, Alaska.
What circumstances lead to this strange phenomenon? According to scientists, the reasons are as complex as they are simple.
Christoph Vogel and Robert Leffler determined in a study of the region that elevation, position, and orientation were all contributing elements that notably support the valley's three ski areas, including two alpine resorts and a Nordic ski center.
“All of these factors combine to give the valley an average snowfall of 134 inches over one-foot greater than Rangeley, ME, (121 inches), the snowiest reporting station in Maine,” the team said in the 2015 study.
"The Canaan Valley has summer temperatures similar to those found in northern New England, an average seasonal snowfall higher than any large city in the U.S., and a shorter growing season than that of Fairbanks, Alaska.”
More specifically, they point out that the cold temperatures, increased precipitation, and the valley’s similarity to a “huge bathtub” conspire to create its remarkably wintry conditions.
“Topographic settings such as the valley’s are sometimes referred to as frost hollows,” they wrote.
“The term is usually reserved for low spots, which exhibit an increased frequency of frosts and are topographically ideal for trapping cold air under clear skies and windless conditions. The valley is a textbook example of a large-scale elevated frost hollow."
Additionally, the valley’s situation is near the highest range in the Allegheny Mountains, a subset of the Appalachian Mountains, which ensures cold weather.
“The combination of the valley’s position on the crest of the Alleghenies and its high-elevation floor is an ideal configuration for creating low temperatures,” Vogel and Leffler report.
“This topography creates conditions that efficiently contain the build-up of cold air drainage under clear, calm weather conditions, resulting in low minimum temperatures during all months.”
The Canaan Valley is the highest valley of its size east of the Mississippi River and has an average elevation of 3,200 feet above sea level.
Another fascinating result of the valley’s topography is its potential to collect rime ice, a result of the elevation of surrounding mountains above the cloud layer.
“During the winter months, the valley’s surrounding ridges are frequently cloaked with a frost line,” they note.
“This beautiful line, above which all trees are coated pure white, actually corresponds to the cloud base and is the result of rime icing. Rime ice forms when super-cooled water vapor in clouds freezes upon contact with below-freezing surfaces, forming a buildup of ice crystals.”
The two scientists clarified for their audience, chiefly members of the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Survey, that the valley is categorically unique.
“One can often travel less than 5 miles in any direction and experience a climate very different from the valley’s,” they stressed.
“From a climate perspective, the valley remains a particularly distinctive location, with its climate considered its cash crop and its location indeed a bit of Canada gone astray.”
Several hundred thousand skiers, snowboarders, and other winter-recreation vacationers visit the valley annually, according to Joe Stevens, executive director of the W.Va. Ski Areas Association.
In addition to downhill ski slopes at Timberline Mountain Resort and Canaan Valley State Park, the region attracts cross-country skiers, notably to the White Grass Ski Touring Center.
Cross-country trails are also to be found among the surrounding parks and forests. Blackwater Falls State Park, a five-mile drive west of the valley, is home of the nation’s longest sled run.
The remarkable winter economy now helps support a thriving tourism economy year-round, according to Brian Sarfino, marketing director for the Tucker County Convention and Visitors Bureau, who says he thinks of the area in winter as a “snow globe.”
“During the winter, this is where you want to be to experience the greatest climate magic,” he said.
He says the bulk of visitors come from adjoining states, including Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania as well as Delaware and New Jersey. Richmond, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Washington account for the lion’s share of tourist traffic.
In addition to winter recreation resources, the region is home to more than a thousand square miles of national forest as well as a national wildlife refuge. Four of the state’s best known tourist attractions are also located in the region — Blackwater Falls, Seneca Rock, The Smoke Hole, and Dolly Sods.
For more information on the region, visit the local travel bureau website or the West Virginia Tourism Office.
West Virginia Explorer reporter Hinaa Noor contributed to this story.
Sign up to receive a FREE copy of West Virginia Explorer Magazine in your email weekly. Sign me up!
