Cold weather means NC ski resorts can finally open for the season

Dave Faherty
·2 min read

The return of colder weather is exactly what North Carolina ski resorts have been waiting for.

Channel 9′s Dave Faherty was in Avery County on Monday, where he found out some of those resorts are hoping to open this week.

At Sugar Mountain Resort, the hope is the resort can open as early as Tuesday. With temperatures expected to stay below freezing for the next 48 hours, crews had snow guns running on Monday.

RELATED: Snowmaking fires up at Beech Mountain Ski Resort

There are more snow-making machines at the resort this year -- 110 of them were hard at work on Monday.

Faherty learned the phones have been ringing for the last couple of weeks with people asking about when Sugar Mountain would open.

“It starts ringing the first of November. People are always excited to get out on the slopes,” said Sugar Mountain vice president Kim Jochl.

Warm, dry weather in November kept them from being able to make snow prior to Thanksgiving. The impact can be felt far from the slopes at local restaurants, hotels and businesses like Ski Country Sports.

“Typically, we get busy for the Thanksgiving weekend and then Cyber Monday,” manager Mark Russ said. “But once the snow flies, everybody gets excited and then everybody starts coming in.”

ALSO READ: Meteorologist Joe Puma’s mountain snow forecast

The North Carolina Ski Areas Association says the six ski resorts in the state bring in more than $225 million into the western North Carolina economy each year. Just one resort can employ hundreds of people.

“Once we’re in full operation, we have 500 employees,” Jochl said. “But the entire state of North Carolina the economic impact on the state with all six ski areas is pretty hefty.”

The owner at Appalachian Ski Mountain told Faherty that when they’re open, they become the largest private employer in Watauga County.

Appalachian Ski Mountain will open on Thursday, followed by Beech Mountain on Saturday, Faherty learned.

(WATCH PREVIOUS: Mother Nature prevents ski slopes from opening)