Aggressive snowmaking will allow a large number of mid-Atlantic ski areas to open for the season in the coming days, and Mother Nature decided to lend a hand by bringing natural snow to many areas on Thursday. Snow began falling in the mountain areas of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania on Thursday, and will continue into Friday. Accumulation could climb as high as 10 inches at some areas.

Snowshoe Mountain Resort’s Andrea Smith reported that 3 inches of snow had fallen at the West Virginia ski area by 6 p.m. on Thursday, with the temperature plummeting to 6 degrees Fahrenheit. Snowshoe expects another 4 to 7 inches to accumulate overnight.

Further north, Canaan Realty’s Laura Reed noted that heavy snow was falling throughout the Canaan Valley region.

Pennsylvania’s Seven Springs Resort expected to have 4-8 inches of fresh snow on the ground by Friday morning.

Several inches of snow were also expected to fall in high-elevation areas of North Carolina.

With temperatures throughout the mid-Atlantic below freezing, resorts that don’t receive natural snow will have ample opportunity to make their own.

“The temps have dropped way down and the snow is flying!” writes Laura Reed from Canaan Realty. “The winds are making it snow sideways; it looks like hyper space on Star Wars.” Photo provided by Laura Reed.

A snowboarder walks through 3 inches of natural snow Thursday afternoon at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. Snowshoe expects to receive another 4-7 inches of snow overnight. Photo provided by Snowshoe Mountain Resort.