Snowfall not quite there

The Daily Inter Lake

The Big Mountain ski resort hasn't exactly seen a huge amount of snowfall so far this year, but there's enough to allow at least some skiing when the season opens Nov. 25.

The Big Mountain ski resort hasn't exactly seen a huge amount of snowfall so far this year, but there's enough to allow at least some skiing when the season opens Nov. 25.

"The back side is in good shape," said Brian Schott, spokesman for the resort. "The worst-case scenario for opening day is we'd take people up to the summit and they'd ski the back side."

He said about two feet of snow have accumulated on those slopes. Some areas on the front side have adequate accumulations as well, but at lower elevations "it gets pretty sparse," said Schott.

Temperatures also haven't stayed cold enough to make snow, he added.

Meanwhile, conditions "are slowly shaping up" at the Blacktail Mountain Ski Area near Lakeside, said snow sports director Jessi Spencer.

The mountain received about 6 inches of snow last week, she said, but the weather has otherwise been mostly sunny. Blacktail doesn't have the capability to make snow, so for now the ski area is looking at an early December opening.

"If we get a dump, of course, we'll open on Thanksgiving," Spencer said.