Manitoba's skiing destinations thrilled with dump of snow, get set to open

Following a long stretch of above-average temperatures, skiing destinations in Manitoba are getting ready to open for the season.

But, with the warm weather that up to now had prevented snow from falling, most locations are hundreds of hours behind schedule.

"We're 42 hours in with snowmaking, so we're behind," said Bernice Later, manager of Manitoba's Holiday Mountain Resort.

Later said in an average year staff at the resort put 900 hours into making snow in advance of the resort's opening. So, it comes as no surprise that she is thrilled about the supply Wednesday brought.

"Oh, I love it," she said of the blowing, falling snow.

"It's free snow … Snowmaking is expensive, the more snow we get the better … But, we still need man-made snow just to get the ramp built for the chair lifts."

Attempts to make snow back in November failed when it melted in above-zero temperatures, said Later, and Holiday Mountain typically opens by the second week of December. 

Later did not say specifically when the resort will open, but she estimates it will be in about a week.

In the meantime, she and others in western Manitoba are not only coping with an influx of snow but also a power outage.

"There's a lot of hydro outages in our area at the moment. Actually, Manitoba Hydro's issued a public safety alert for our area just because the lines are ice-covered and blowing in the wind," Later said.

Without having to cope with the same issue, other resorts, including Falcon Ridge Ski Slopes, are thinking about when they can open.

At Falcon Ridge, Dec. 26 is the date — about one week after their original opening date of Dec. 19. The delay is also because of a lack of snow.

That earlier date, Dec. 19, is still the plan at Spring Hill Winter Park, Stony Mountain Ski Area and Asessippi Ski Area and Resort but as the manager of Asessippi's resort said, it depends on the weather.

Manitoba's Minnedosa Ski Valley has yet to set a date for their opening.