It’s beginning to look a lot like … ski season.
Webcam images on Thursday from the Okanagan’s three biggest resorts show good accumulations of snow, courtesy of a blanket of precipitation that’s rolling across the region.
The depth of snow varies, but each resort hit double digits, with Big White Ski Resort reporting 15 cm during the past 24 hours.
“We clean the (snowfall) webcam every day at 4 p.m.,” Big White senior vice president Michael J. Ballingall said of the snowfall total. “At this time of the season, it just gets everybody excited.
“It makes everybody pick up the pace a little bit. If you’re painting, you’re painting a little bit faster. If you’re cleaning rooms, you’re cleaning them a little bit quicker.
“You never know at Big White; as soon as the snow is ready, we’re going to open the lifts so locals can get skiing and snowboarding.”
The resort has a tentative opening date of Thursday, Nov. 25, though Ballingall said it could sooner or later, pending the weather.
“We always aim to have the resort open by American Thanksgiving weekend,” said Ballingall. “That’s what our goal has always been.
“Right now, we’re thinking we might (open) a little bit earlier, but you never know with the storms that are coming through right now. One degree or two, and it could turn to rain this time of year. But two degrees lower, and you could get 30-40 cm of snow.
“So everyone has their fingers crossed.”
In the North Okanagan, SilverStar Resort said it had received around 30 cm of snow as of Thursday afternoon.
The resort said a storm forecast was projecting 55 cm, and that projected cold weather this week should hopefully help the fresh snow stick around.
SilverStar says its Nordic opening will be Nov. 26, with the alpine opening on Dec. 3.
In the South Okanagan, Apex Mountain Resort received 20 cm overnight, and another 5-7 cm of snow was expected Thursday.
“We already had about 10 cm on the ground, and up on top of the mountain, we’re sitting around 50 cm,” said resort manager James Shalman.
Apex’s opening date is slated for Dec. 11, but Shalman said the resort could open early if weather conditions are right.
“What we don’t want to do is open, then have to close due to Mother Nature,” said Shalman. “When we do open, we’re opening for good.
“But, yes, there’s always the possibility of opening early. We’ll have to see what the next month brings.”
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