Scant snowfall delays opening of ski season

The Daily Inter Lake

Whitefish Mountain Resort officials announced Wednesday that the ski area probably will not open Saturday as scheduled, but they are prepared to open on short notice when snow conditions allow.

"Up until this most recent storm passed, we were hopeful we would be able to get a few runs on the north side of the mountain open on Saturday," public relations manager Donnie Clapp said on Wednesday.

"But this morning, we took a look at the snow at the bottom of Chair 7 and there's not quite enough to ski safely all the way to the terminal."

The resort's Web site, skiwhitefish.com, on Wednesday listed a settled base of 10 inches of snow at the summit and 3 inches in the village area.

Clapp said the resort will open as soon as additional snowfall allows.

Starting Friday, snow conditions will be evaluated every morning. Resort officials hope that 24 hours notice will give skiers enough time to prepare for their first day on the mountain.

"Everyone here is champing at the bit to click in and start skiing," said Clapp. "We're coiled and ready to pounce as soon as conditions allow us to."

Long-term forecasts call for above-average precipitation on the Whitefish Mountain Range for the month of December.

But so far, winter has been delayed to a historic degree in the Flathead Valley.

Dan Zumpfe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula, said that half an inch of snow was recorded falling at Glacier Park International Airport on Tuesday.

That tied the latest date for a measurable snowfall in 109 years of record-keeping, Zumpfe said. In 1953, the first measurable snowfall came on Dec. 2, with a storm that left 1.7 inches.