Garrett County is famous for a couple of things: the beauty of the lake, our stunning fall foliage, and, come winter, lots and lots of snow! This is why we are home to Maryland's only ski resort and the reason why Deep Creek Lake remains a popular destination long after the lake freezes over; our winters are pure magic!
But why is Garrett County so much snowier than the rest of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia? While Maryland averages 10.6 inches a year-- with West Virginia clocking in around 30 inches and Pennsylvania around 20-- Garrett County smashes those averages with an average yearly snowfall of 110 inches. The winter of 2009-2010 even saw a record snowfall of 262 inches! No wonder Garrett County has such a snowy reputation!
A couple of conditions contribute to our ample winter bounty. The first is our location-- not too eastern as to avoid the lake effect snowstorms off of Lake Erie and not too western to skip out on those "Nor Easter" snow storms; we are located in just the right spot as to be in range for both. Another contributing factor is simply that mountain regions get more snow-- and Garrett County lies definitively within the Appalachian Mountain region.
To read more about the science of Garrett County winters, click here-- there's a lot of fascinating science to explore!
Ready for a white winter? One full of skiing, snow angels, and snowball fights? Deep Creek Lake, right in the heart of Garrett County, is waiting for you! Explore our winter homes today- we've got ski in/ski out access homes, cozy cabins, mountain estates and more- some of our homes even have indoor pools!