White stuff was really wet stuff at Big White
Big White Ski Resort said it was the wettest opening day in history on Thursday.
Plans to open 19 runs had to be scaled back to four as a Pineapple Express dropped huge amounts of rain across the province.
However, the weather didn’t stop four dedicated locals from camping next to the lift overnight in order to claim the first chair of the 2017-18 season.
“This is the wettest opening day I’ve experienced since I began working for the resort in 1974,” said Jeremy Hopkinson, vice president of outdoor operations at Big White. “I’m proud of how our operations and patrol teams were able to adjust to the conditions in order to provide a memorable opening day for our guests.”
Temperatures dropped throughout the morning as the rain moved on, and heavy snow began to fall by 9:30 a.m. Conditions continued to improve throughout the day with seven centimetres of new snow falling by 3 p.m. with more in the forecast for the weekend.
The resort will be reassessing snow conditions and opening more lifts and terrain as as it is safe to do so. Lift tickets will continue to be offered at 50 per cent off until further notice.
The resort is having an Opening Weekend Patio Party at The Woods across from the Village Centre Mall. A live DJ will be spinning for apres ski from 3-5 p.m.
Get an update on hours of operation at bigwhite.com.