Pre-Winter Solstice Run on the Art Loeb Trail

The 9th running of the ALTAR, an invitational winter ultra run on the second solstice of the year, is upon us. Winter starts on the solstice, and it will roar like a beast this Saturday in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Photo: View from Camp Berlin (19,490 ft) on Aconcagua taken by the Sultan.

Weather Update:

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

SNOW... POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SLEET AND RAIN... WILL SPREAD INTO THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA... THE ADJACENT NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS... AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH CAROLINA FRIDAY MORNING. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO FALL MAINLY AS SNOW THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON... ALTHOUGH A CHANGE TO A MIX OF SLEET AND RAIN IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS DURING THE EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF FROM SOUTH TO NORTH FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY.

STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA... AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS... GENERALLY IN AREAS WEST OF INTERSTATE 26 AND ALONG AND EAST OF THE BALSAMS. ACROSS THE GREENVILLE AND PICKENS MOUNTAINS... TOTAL SLEET AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1-4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTAIN A LOT OF MOISTURE AND WILL EASILY ACCUMULATE ON TREES AND POWER LINES. IN ADDITION... NORTHEAST WINDS WILL BECOME BREEZY ON FRIDAY AND WILL REMAIN THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS MAY DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES... CREATING AREAS OF POWER OUTAGES.

Photo: 2008 ALTAR start, taken by Patty Kirk.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
... MAJOR WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...

A STRONG COASTAL STORM WILL SPREAD WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE REGION FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM SHOULD REMAIN COLD ENOUGH TO SUPPORT SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. PRECIPITATION RATES WILL GENERALLY DECREASE ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE LOW TRACKS NORTHEAST ALONG THE ATLANTIC COASTLINE.

Words from race director Matt Kirk:

“Guys, this may be the year that puts '03, '05 to shame. The year you wished you stayed home. If you come, travel safely at your own risk. There are no guarantees that the back roads will be passable.”