Pebble Creek Ski Area targets Friday opening, fingers crossed
Published at
INKOM — After weeks of unseasonably warm temperatures and little natural snowfall, Pebble Creek Ski Area is finally seeing conditions turn in its favor and is preparing to open for the season.
The ski area received three to four inches of snow over the weekend, and colder temperatures have enabled snowmaking crews to operate around the clock. Now, the crew is optimistic the Aspen beginner run will open as early as Friday, according to Dana Barrow, Pebble Creek’s assistant general manager.
“While there’s never any promises with the weather, we plan to open the Aspen beginner area this Friday, Saturday and Sunday – Jan. 2, 3 and 4,” Barrow said. “It recently snowed three to four inches, and a storm coming in on Thursday is predicted to bring more snow.”
Under the tentative plan, the ski area would open Aspen during the day on weekends, close during the week to conserve snow, and reopen the following weekend. The upper mountain will open as soon as conditions allow, and night skiing will resume once it is safe to do so.
“Our snowmakers have been making snow 24/7 since last Friday,” Barrow said. “If we can continue that, it will really help.”
How snowmaking works
Pebble Creek first added artificial snowmaking to the lower mountain in the 1990s to supplement natural snowfall and improve early-season coverage. The system has expanded significantly over the years, including a major upgrade in 2020 that added lighting and additional snowmaking infrastructure to the beginner area.
RELATED: Pebble Creek Ski Area now has one of the longest conveyor lifts in the country
Snowmaking works by pumping water from a storage pond through underground pipes to snow guns placed along key runs. Those guns spray tiny droplets of water into cold air, where they freeze and fall as machine-made snow.
For snowmaking to be effective, temperatures generally need to be around 28 degrees or colder, with low humidity helping droplets freeze more quickly.
Pebble Creek has also tripled the capacity of its snowmaking storage pond and added new piping and hydrants to help build a snow base faster at night and during cold snaps. These upgrades help strengthen early-season conditions and extend the ski season.
A challenging start to the season
Barrow said while delayed openings due to lack of snow aren’t that uncommon, the extended unseasonably warm weather has been especially difficult.
“The most unusual thing has been the warmth and humidity,” she said. “It hasn’t even been cold enough for snowmaking. We’re so used to waking up at this time of year and it being the busiest time of the season.”
RELATED: Record-breaking temperatures set on Christmas Day in three eastern Idaho cities
The late start has affected about 120 seasonal employees, who are not paid when the ski area is not operating, as well as volunteer ski patrol members who have not yet been able to hit the hill.
Barrow said all lesson programs scheduled for the four-week January session have been postponed by one week and will now begin on Jan. 10 or 11. School ski programs originally set for the week of Jan. 5 have also been rescheduled.
Despite the challenges, Barrow said she is grateful for the public’s patience and that the Pebble Creek crew is eager to welcome guests back to the mountain for winter recreation.
For current conditions and updates, visit pebblecreekskiarea.com or follow Pebble Creek Ski Area on Facebook.
This weather-related story is brought to you by Frontier Credit Union. At Frontier Credit Union, we believe in building a better life for our members, our communities and the great state of Idaho. Explore our solutions and start building your better life today at Frontier Credit Union.