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Schweitzer Mt. enjoys record December Posted: Saturday, Jan 06, 2007 - 03:34:58 pm PST By R.J. COHN Staff writer
SANDPOINT -- If there are indeed snow gods lurking about, they must be having one heck of a time at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Especially in December, when a series of earlier-than-usual snowstorms pounded the North Idaho mountains -- not only blessing Schweitzer with above-average snowfall, but creating record-breaking revenues as well."We couldn't have asked for better conditions," said Dave Kulis, Schweitzer's director of marketing and sales. "We would have been disappointed if we didn't break records." Some of those records will be tough to top.
Having a load of snow in the mountains contributed immensely to Schweitzer's record-setting month. As of Jan. 2, Schweitzer is reporting 181 inches of snowfall, double the amount of snowfall to date over last year, and well over half the average snowfall for the season. "Conditions were ideal for the Christmas and New Year's holidays." said Gerber. "Two feet of snow fell from Christmas Eve to Dec. 26 and the sun came out for the rest of the week, just on time for the arrival of vacationing families. It was absolutely perfect. "We're pretty blessed. This particular region of the Northwest has received more snow than any other ski area in Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. Only Squaw Valley has received a little bit more than us." Currently, Schweitzer has 75 inches of settled snow-depth at the summit. All 2,900 acres of lift-served terrain are open, and an additional 4,000 acres are also open for snow-cat skiing. Although bad weather closed the mountain for skiing on Tuesday, snow was falling Wednesday morning and a new winter storm-cycle -- packed with plenty of snow -- is forecast through Sunday. Skiers and snowboarders aren't the only ones rejoicing over North Idaho's big winter. Excellent snow conditions coupled with Schweitzer's early Thanksgiving opening have also kept local retailers, restaurateurs and motel owners smiling. "Our ski equipment has been selling well, and the volume of traffic in the store is significant," said Bob Aavedal, owner of The Alpine Shop on Church Street. "I don't anticipate having a lot of close-out gear this spring, and that's great." Schweitzer officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the winter of 2006-'07 is just gearing up for one that will pack an even bigger wallop. "With the snowiest months -- January and February -- yet to come, Schweitzer is well on track for a record-breaking snow year," said Gerber. "It's really looking great."
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Bonner County Daily Bee
P.O. Box 159 / Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 / 208-263-9534
Bonner County Daily Bee Online is updated between 9 - 10am PST.