Table Mountain began its snowmaking process over the weekend (Facebook/Table Mountain)

By Martin Martinson

Snowmaking Underway

Table Mountain eyes January 20th opening date

Jan 10, 2024 | 6:18 PM

It is the latest start to the season for Table Mountain in years but for those around the Battlefords and region eagerly awaiting to hit the slopes, the wait shouldn’t be much longer.

General manager, Lawrence Blouin said thanks to cooling temperatures over the last week, the staff have been able to kick off the snowmaking process, working towards an opening date of Jan. 20^th.

“Things finally cooled off for us Saturday, so we got started that afternoon, and basically right now is just perfect,” Blouin said. “-20C is perfect weather for snowmaking, so we’ve been working 24 hours a day trying to get our snow made, and it’s coming along pretty well actually.”

“This is the latest start in all the years I’ve been here, we’ve always been open for Christmas, so this is unbelievable… But we’re planning, with the way it looks right now, Saturday, Jan. 20^th will be our opening day.” – Table Mountain General Manager, Lawrence Blouin

The snowmaking process is generally a 10 to 12-day process for the team at Table Mountain, meaning the slopes could have been looking at an even earlier opening date if not for a slight overcorrect by Mother Nature. As it stands, the weather has gone from an overly mild start to the winter to bone-chilling temps now expected over the coming days.

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“We’re looking at -39C with wind chills of -41C or -42C on Saturday and Sunday, so we wouldn’t have been open at those temperatures anyways, so we’ll just stay closed and make some snow,” Blouin said. “We should be done making snow here by the middle of next week, by the 16th or 17th, and then we’ll have pretty much everything open for the 20th.”

To keep up to date with the latest developments around Table Mountain, visit Facebook or the ski hill’s website.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1