More WV Resorts Open This Weekend

Charleston, WV – Two more West Virginia ski resorts will officially open for the 2020/21 season this weekend as Timberline Mountain in Tucker County drops the ropes on Friday and neighboring Canaan Valley Resort starts the season on Saturday. Snowshoe Mountain in Pocahontas County which opened earlier this month will be opening its Silver Creek area Friday and Western Territory on Saturday, while Winterplace in Raleigh County continues to add additional open terrain. Oglebay Resort in Ohio County is planning to open for Christmas, weather permitting.

This week’s natural snow also helped improve conditions at the state’s two Nordic areas, White Grass Touring in Tucker County and Elk River Touring in Pocahontas County.

With the holiday season bearing down on the state’s ski industry, the recent cold temperatures have allowed the resort operators to make snow covering an abundance of terrain for the skiers and snowboarders. The upcoming holiday season contributes up to 35 percent of the various resorts’ yearly revenue.

The snowmakers at all of the state’s ski resorts can produce manmade snow whenever temperatures permit, allowing the industry’s unsung heroes to cover the slopes for skiers and snowboarders. When snowmaking conditions are at their best (in the low teens), over 20,000 tons of snow is being produced in West Virginia per hour, enough snow to cover 20 football fields with a foot of snow each hour.

The West Virginia Ski Areas Association again this season is offering a program to attract young skiers into the winter sport. The program allows any child in the 4th or 5th grade to ski or snowboard for FREE. All of West Virginia’s ski areas, Canaan Valley, Oglebay, Snowshoe, Timberline and Winterplace are participating in the association’s Ski Free 4th and 5th Grade Passport Program.

The Passport may be used to obtain three (3) Junior lift tickets at participating resorts during the 2020-2021 season. Benefits are determined by each ski resort.

It is recommended for all skiers and snowboarders to check with the resort they plan on visiting, to make sure they are up to date on all COVID-19 safety requirements required of visitors.