Castle Mountain Resort has claimed the crown for the most snow of any Alberta ski resort so far this season.
With a base depth of more than 300 centimeters and longer arrival times, Cole Fawcett, sales and marketing manager at the resort, said current snowpack conditions are a few weeks ahead of normal.
“We’re already 15 percent of the way through the season and already have a third of the average annual snowfall,” Fawcett said.
With the recent addition of snow guns to their arsenal, on November 26, the resort was able to open for the first time in 25 years.
“We are indebted to Mother Nature for this season and we are also indebted to her ability to make snow,” Fawcett said. “Which is really important in laying down that nice firm base surface and then we’ve got the nice fluffy material on top.”
Berry pickers searching for rare fruit at Castle Mountain Resort
read more
The resort has welcomed over 11,000 skiers and snowboarders to the mountain so far this season.
Angela Roman and her children Ana and Marco were affected by the circumstances of the early seasons.
“We usually don’t get out until after Christmas, so it’s really nice,” Marco said.
“(There) is more snow than we expected; It’s a wonderful day,” Angela said.
Kerry Stevenson plans a family vacation for her and her three sons. This weekend was their first time together skiing Castle.
Kerry’s son David Stevenson said, “There’s some sick powder with the coverage and we’re getting out of there.”
Kerry said, “Let’s just keep this Alberta secret.”
Snow continues to fall at Castle Mountain through Sunday, and Fawcett expects good conditions for the remainder of the holiday season.
Fawcett said, “This Christmas season is going to be pretty spectacular, especially if it keeps up.”
“If forecast models hold up, we will be back to more normal temperatures by the time we get to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day,” Fawcett said. “(We’ll have) really pleasant skiing and snowboarding conditions.”
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.