Bustling weekend, good weather in forecast for Okanagan ski resorts
Global News
With Family Day nearing and good weather in the forecast, Big White and Apex are expecting bustling crowds the next four days.
It’s been a tough winter for ski hills in B.C.’s Interior, with a delayed start, low snowfall and bitterly cold temperatures at times.
This long weekend, though, could be a turning point for the industry.
With Monday’s Family Day nearing, and good weather in the forecast, resorts in the Okanagan tell Global News they’re expecting bustling crowds over the next four days.
At Big White Ski Resort, resort senior vice-president Michael J. Ballingall said the occupancy rate for the long weekend is around 98 per cent.
“This is an amazing time of year for us,” said Ballingall. “We’ll be as busy as Christmas and New Year’s, and, of course, the locals will be showing up because we’re approaching a 200-cm base.”
Six weeks ago, the resort had a base of around 150 cm. Since then, Big White has seen consistent snowfall, as have other regional ski hills.
“All of our runs are open, all of our lifts are open. So this could be our busiest weekend in our history if Mother Nature cooperates.”
Ballingall added that this weekend is traditionally busy, as it also coincides with President’s Day in the U.S., and many Americans trek north to visit the region.
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