Slopes open early thanks to November cold snap

A two-week cold snap means skiers and snow boarders around the state will get an extra week on the slopes and the trails.

Early November often is too warm for consistent snow production and slopes traditionally open around Thanksgiving or later. The last time skiers braved the slopes at Lutsen Mountains in mid-November was 1998.

But this year will be different.

Lutsen Mountains Resort in northern Minnesota will open three runs on Saturday, marketing director Jim Vick said.

Spirit Mountain in Duluth plans to open several runs over the weekend according to the slope's website.

Welch Village, a ski and snowboard area near Red Wing, is set to open two runs Friday — two weeks before its scheduled opening.

At Lutsen, the early opening comes courtesy of weather cold enough to make snow — not because of the recent snowfall, Vick said.

"In the ski biz, we'll always take a good snowfall," he said. "That's great for spirits, but our real work at hand is laying a base down on all these runs that we groom and ski regularly, so that's snow making time."

Leading up to the weekend, 75 high-tech snow guns are blasting powder on the 95 runs at Lutsen. Snow-making crews are always on call Nov. 1, but Vick said the work is usually inconsistent.

This year, crews have already been working around the clock, building up a hefty base for the rest of the year.

Vick takes the early open as a good sign for the coming downhill season.

"I'm hoping we keep this momentum going," he said.