Snowfall opens Las Vegas ski resort after multiple warm weather delays

By Pashtana Usufzy

Monday, Dec. 15, 2014 | 11:52 p.m.

Locals hoping for snow on the mountains got their wish over the weekend.

The Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort opened Saturday morning after about 12 inches of snow blanketed the area Friday and early Saturday, marketing director Jim Seely said.

The resort, which is located in Lee Canyon in the Mount Charleston area, had pushed back its official opening twice due to what it called "unseasonably warm" weather. The resort said Thursday it would open by Saturday, even if the mountains didn't see natural snowfall.

The resort has a reservoir it can use to produce snow, but even then, the weather can affect whether or not that snow lasts and can be used, resort representatives said.

Though the resort expected some snowfall over the weekend, it conservatively estimated that it would only see about 8 inches, Seely said.

"With the snowfall, it really does look like a winter wonderland, which we've been anxiously waiting for," he said.

Crowds responded to the opening, with about 400 people showing up for opening day and about 300 visiting Sunday, Seely said.

The resort is also forecasting several inches of snow Tuesday and Wednesday thanks to an incoming storm, he said.

A new chairlift will open Tuesday at the resort, allowing visitors to reach the upper terrain near about 9,300 feet, Seely said.

The base of the resort is at about 8,500 feet, and the resort wanted to ensure the upper terrain had an appropriate amount of snow for guests' activities, he said.

"We've been snowmaking like crazy up there in the upper terrain," Seely said.

The resort also plans to debut an area for tubing later this season, he said.