Big White first ski hill to open in B.C.
Powder hound alert: Big White near Kelowna opening two weeks early thanks to solid snow pack
Friday the 13th is on track to be a lucky day for both powder hounds and the operators of Big White Ski Resort.
The ski hill in the Monashee Mountains near Kelowna has announced it will be making its earliest opening in 14 years — two weeks earlier than scheduled — thanks to a recent big dump of snow.
"We have machinery out on the mountain and there's a lot of people here smiling," said Michael J. Ballingall, sr. vice president of Big White. "On Friday we'll open three of our chair lifts and one gondola, but with this new snowfall coming we may be able to open more."
Big White has received 61 centimetres of snow in the last seven days, and another 15 to 20 centimetres is expected to fall tonight.
Forecasters have been predicting a warmer than normal winter but Ballingal says people may not realize that can be good news for Okanagan skiers.
"All this news about the blob in the ocean and the big El Nino that's coming, well obviously in the Okanagan Valley that means champagne powder snow," he said.
Early season skiers and snow boarders will get a discount as well, with lift passes going for 50 per cent off until conditions allow for more runs to open.
Ballingall estimates close to a 2,000 keeners will hit the Big White slopes on opening day.
"I'm sure there's going to be a few kids skipping school Friday morning," he added.