Where can Floridians drive to see snow?

[JaxJags08]

DD4 has been begging to see snow the last 2 years, but that's not happening in Florida. How far north do we have to drive to get to snow? And what time of the year? We don't plan on doing any skiing, just need enough for snowballs and snow angels. If you could also suggest a specific town since we would make it a long weekend, that would be great!

 

[HM]

I'd say the GA or NC mountains would be your best bet. There are plenty of ski resorts in NC that make snow during the winter, if there isn't any on the ground elsewhere. Since your DD is four, she might like to go Snowtubing, and many resorts now offer that as well.

 

[thewebbs5]

DD4 has been begging to see snow the last 2 years, but that's not happening in Florida. How far north do we have to drive to get to snow? And what time of the year? We don't plan on doing any skiing, just need enough for snowballs and snow angels. If you could also suggest a specific town since we would make it a long weekend, that would be great!

Snow anywhere in the south is hit and miss. It would be hard to plan anything. The mountains of Tennesse would probably be a good choice, or if fake snow would work, Stone Mountain outside of Atlanta has Snow mountain some during the winter. We went last year and had a great time.

 

[AKL_Megs]

You can come here to Michigan and see all of our snow! In fact, we put on a Snow Shoveling Experience... It's better on super frigid, windy days when you can experience what snow feels like stinging your face!

LOL I'm kidding. But I AM jealous of those folks who need to go LOOKING for snow. LUCKY!!!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Also, there are different kinds of real snow. At least in New England, the "shoulder season" snow - that is the first snow and the last snow come down when the weather is warmer and are wetter. This kind of snow clumps together best and can be made into snow balls and snow men and the such like. (A blizzard of this kind of snow is helacious to drive through.) In mid-winter the snow is light and fluffy until it compacts while sitting. This snow does not make for snow men. You can do snow angels, but not as well. (Although it's less wet.) If you get an older snow, OTOH, once it's compacted down on the ground and hardened for a while, I think you can make snowmen (and igloos, I'm told.)

As for when and where to go: there is nothing prettier than a small New England town at Christmas just after a heavy snowfall. Just sayin'. And if you start haunting the deal websites and get on the state tourism mailing lists NOW you can probably get some good prices.

Oh. One word of caution: remember, the more Southerly states that do get snow occasionally are still not all that capable of dealing with it on their roads when they do get it, so just spur-of-the-moment driving up to say Arkansas or such after the weather reports a heavy snow is probably NOT a good idea.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

We go to Nashville to visit my brother usually in January, and we see snow. Doesn't always stick, but it's snowing. It's a 10-12 hour drive from Orlando.

 

[Minnesota!]

Tell ya what, you guys can come up here and stay at my house for a week in say, February. We have a huge sliding hill in the backyard and my driveway is pretty short.

I will leave you the sleds, the shovels, and the gloves.

In return, all I ask for is YOUR house for the week...leave me the sunscreen, a bathing suit, and sunglasses, please

 

[JaxJags08]

Thanks for all of the replies! I felt funny posting because I knew some of you would love to get OUT of the snow and here we are looking for whatever we can find I had no idea there are different types of snow - I've lived in FL all my life and can count the number of times I have seen snow on 1 hand. We always just vacationed in the summer to warm places, I guess.

Snow anywhere in the south is hit and miss. It would be hard to plan anything. The mountains of Tennesse would probably be a good choice, or if fake snow would work, Stone Mountain outside of Atlanta has Snow mountain some during the winter. We went last year and had a great time.

Hmmm...I may check out Stone Mountain. Real snow is preferable, of course, but this allows us to plan our vacation days. Does the Stone Mountain area ever get real snow?

I'd say the GA or NC mountains would be your best bet. There are plenty of ski resorts in NC that make snow during the winter, if there isn't any on the ground elsewhere. Since your DD is four, she might like to go Snowtubing, and many resorts now offer that as well.

I noticed you're in NC - any particular resort or town you recommend? We want the shortest drive possible really, since we won't have very long.

 

[jenny105]

But I AM jealous of those folks who need to go LOOKING for snow. LUCKY!!!

Ditto!

 

[HM]

I noticed you're in NC - any particular resort or town you recommend? We want the shortest drive possible really, since we won't have very long.

I think the easiest drive would be up the the Asheville area. I guess it depends on where you are in FL. I-95 to I-26 to I-40. And maybe this place.. http://www.skiwolfridgenc.com/ would be the closest.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yep, for a one-day drive, come on up to the Smokies when snow is in the forecast.

It is hit and miss.
But, I grew up in E. TN, and yes, there is some snow every year.

You've got to be able to follow the forecast and drive up when the snow is going to hit.

Around there, when the snow comes up from Northern Texas, thru Ark, etc. , hitting a cold front from the North, that's when they know they're in for a real snow.

We went to Nashville in mid-December last year to see the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular... A small blizzard came thru! But, Usually they don't hit until Christmas or after.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Easiest Drive, and best vacation activities and opportunities...

Take 75 up to Knoxville, Take 40 East over to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg...

Enjoy!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Here is a hotel with family sized suites with kitchen, continental breakfast with some hot items, indoor pool, and room to play in the snow outside with a small creek.

www.mainstaypigeonforge.com

 

[Wishing on a star]

You might want to check out Check out Ober-Gatlnburg and do the Snow Tubing Run. They make snow when it is cold enough.

Here is a link to this Winter's info:
www.obergatlinburg.com/rates/tubing-tickets/

NOTE: This is not the Alpine Slide that is showing on the web-site right now.

They still have the Summer/Fall in their web-site, but they will change that once Winter comes and they change to ski and snow-tube.

www.obergatlinburg.com/

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Hmmm...I may check out Stone Mountain. Real snow is preferable, of course, but this allows us to plan our vacation days. Does the Stone Mountain area ever get real snow?

I have a friend in Stone Mountain- they got snow last year, fell under the "freak of nature" category.
As said, Stone Mountain Park does have a day where they make snow. (And it's "real snow", not sure what fake snow would be. They make it with a snowmaking machine, same as what our ski areas do to augment Mother Nature on the slopes.) My friend had paid for her kids to do that a couple years ago. She pointed out it was actually good- just enough snow to play in, but not enough necessitating full blown snow gear like a long weekend would. (She layered the kids' clothes and put them in their rain boots w/ extra socks.

FYI while there are different types of snow (powdery, more like fine sugar, and then sticky, the kind you can compacts to make snowballs, etc- and 100 variations in between), it has to do with temperature vs just first/last snow of the year. We can make snowmen in January and have had powdery blizzards in April. Depends on how warm it is.

 

[Kat77]

Hmmm...I may check out Stone Mountain. Real snow is preferable, of course, but this allows us to plan our vacation days. Does the Stone Mountain area ever get real snow?

Yes but it is rare and unpredictable. We seem to get caught in storms when we are in Georgia (not out goal). My kids LOVE snow mountain! It's worth a visit.

 

[StarLight StarBright]

I'm from NC, I recommend Blowing Rock or Boone. We only live about an hour down the mountain from Blowing Rock, and it seems like they get all the snow, and for us is hit or miss. Blowing Rock is a very cute little resort town, lots of ski resorts. Every year when it snows, it seems like there is a news report showing the snow, with a family from Florida throwing snowballs, who says" we came here just to see the snow!" Both towns are on the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can get there by going north on 85, then North on HWY 321.

 

[thewebbs5]

I have a friend in Stone Mountain- they got snow last year, fell under the "freak of nature" category.
As said, Stone Mountain Park does have a day where they make snow. (And it's "real snow", not sure what fake snow would be. They make it with a snowmaking machine, same as what our ski areas do to augment Mother Nature on the slopes.) My friend had paid for her kids to do that a couple years ago. She pointed out it was actually good- just enough snow to play in, but not enough necessitating full blown snow gear like a long weekend would. (She layered the kids' clothes and put them in their rain boots w/ extra socks.

FYI while there are different types of snow (powdery, more like fine sugar, and then sticky, the kind you can compacts to make snowballs, etc- and 100 variations in between), it has to do with temperature vs just first/last snow of the year. We can make snowmen in January and have had powdery blizzards in April. Depends on how warm it is.

Just to clarify, it's more than a day, Snow Mountain lasts about 3 months. November-February. You do have to buy a pass and there is tubing, a place to build snowmen and do snow angels, plus there was other things to do at Stone Mtn. Like go up the Summit Skyride. that was fun! we went the week after Christmas and they still had Stone Mountain Christmas going on. We enjoyed the lights and the Polar Express 4D, the village, etc. We had a great time!

 

[Wishing on a star]

If you are gonna travel to see snow.... Do yourself and head a little further up to the Smoky Mountains where you will be way more likely to see real snow, and where there are a lot more vacation type offerings.

There will be snow in the mountains where the surrounding areas see barely any, or none at all.

Just honestly, I don't know anybody who would head to Georgia to see snow.

 

[thewebbs5]

If you are gonna travel to see snow.... Do yourself and head a little further up to the Smoky Mountains where you will be way more likely to see real snow, and where there are a lot more vacation type offerings.

There will be snow in the mountains where the surrounding areas see barely any, or none at all.

Just honestly, I don't know anybody who would head to Georgia to see snow.

This is very true, but I thought the OP said they had a long weekend (which means 3-4 days to me) and depending on where they are in FL, GA could be a fairly long drive already.

We didn't go to GA to see snow, my daughter lives in Augusta and we went over to ATL for the day. Just to clarify that I didn't drive 10 hours to GA just to see snow.