Storm System Dumping Feet of Snow on Resort for Opening of 60th Anniversary Winter

WHITEFISH – More than two feet of new snow has blanketed Whitefish Mountain Resort this week, giving the Montana ski area auspicious conditions for the Saturday, Dec. 8 opening of the 60th anniversary ski and snowboard season. Weather forecasters are predicting more snowy weather leading up to the opening weekend.

“With all the new snow, our operations team is busy getting the slopes ready,” said Daniel Graves, president of the resort. “The excitement around here is incredible right now and we feel fortunate that our guests will have such a treat for the opening of the winter season. We’ve had a busy summer and our guests will be greeted with an incredible array of improvements this winter.”

Resort operations departments are busy working with the new snow and preparing the slopes. Predicted lift and terrain openings include runs on Chair 3 (with the possibility of some beginner and intermediate terrain park features), beginner terrain in the Chair 6 area, as well as top-to-bottom runs on both the front and back aspects of the main mountain. “These plans could and probably will change daily as the weather turns colder,” said Chester Powell, operations manager on the mountain. “We could be looking at a significant portion of our terrain being available if mother nature cooperates.”

“As the snow continues to pile up, our ski patrol will open terrain as soon as possible,” said Powell. “Recent storm systems have been tracking north, directly over our heads, and conditions are looking better every day. I would like to ask everyone to please respect closures and work with the ski patrol so that we may have a safe and fun opening weekend.”

Besides a lot of snow, the list of improvements greeting guests this winter includes:

* New name – Big Mountain Resort is now Whitefish Mountain Resort.
* $20 Million in upgrades includes new lodge, new lifts, new restaurants, and expanded terrain park
* $7.2 million chair lift expansion includes two new high speed quads
* New $10 million Big Mountain Road rebuild
* New $11 million, 35,000-square-foot Base Lodge
* Snowmaking capacity at The Fishbowl Terrain Park and Superpipe has been tripled
* Features in the terrain park have been expanded, including a progressive, beginner-level area
* New ski and snowboard school location with re-graded beginner runs
* Two new mountain restaurants: Mackenzie River Pizza Co. and Ed & Mully’s Smokehouse

The resort will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the free SNOW bus will begin operation to and from Whitefish to Big Mountain Village on opening day. The groomers are currently reporting a 39-inch settled base at the summit and 13 inches in the village, with 25 inches of new snow on Sunday and Monday. Updated information can be found on the resort’s web site at skiwhitefish.com or by calling 406-862-SNOW.