Snow-way! Ski resort near Las Vegas ready for early opening

Mother Nature delivered the hottest Southern Nevada summer on record this year. Now it’s giving snow enthusiasts an early run down the slopes.

Thanks to a cold snap and the Lee Canyon snow-making team, the Spring Mountains resort northwest of Las Vegas said Thursday that it will launch its season Saturday.

It is the first early-season opening in 13 years. In 2011, Lee Canyon opened its Rabbit Peak chairlift on Oct. 8, making it the first ski resort in the U.S. to open that year, according to a press release.

“Lee Canyon’s investment in snow-making capabilities lets us deliver this stellar combination of adventures to our guests. We’re also a team of passionate skiers and snowboarders, so an opening is a huge win for everyone,” Josh Bean, the resort’s director of operations, said in a statement.

Snow fans will see temperatures in the 30s with a high near 40 at Lee Canyon on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The sky will be partly sunny with winds between 5 and 8 mph.

Even as skiing begins, the resort will hold its already-planned annual “pray for snow” gathering from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Bristlecone Bar.

Snow-making effort

When cold night air swallows up the mountains, a crew is busy making snow at Lee Canyon.

Snow-making began late last week on the beginner runs of Rabbit Peak and Alpine Glow, Bean said.

“With the first cold front it became optimal conditions this week,” Bean said. “We’ve been able to make snow every day this week and Tuesday we were able to go all day.”

While the start is a bit early, Bean said it’s “not completely out of the norm” in the dry desert air. Lows at freezing or lower are projected through the weekend.

At optimal conditions, Lee Canyon’s crew can cover an acre of terrain a foot deep in about 9 hours.

Man-made snow allows the resort to open early and close late, but it all depends on the weather. The resort, which has a peak of 11,289 feet, receives an average of 129 inches of natural snow a year.

Covering the beginner runs can “sometimes take four weeks and sometimes four days, it just depends on how cold it is,” Bean said.

Snow-making has evolved into quite a science, Bean said, but in simple terms it comes down to water under high pressure that allows the water molecule to break down and crystals to form around it.

“Give it the right hang time (out of the gun) and a pretty good product comes out,” Bean said.

“We love natural snow,” Bean said. “But snow-making allows for (season) passholders to have a good early season product to enjoy.”

Unlike decades ago, today’s man-made snow is a quality product, Bean said. “It’s not the snow that we used to have that everybody dreaded,” he said.

Three generations of snow-making 

Lee Canyon will celebrate its 60th season in January, and Bean, 43, has been at the resort “on and off” for over a quarter century. He is a lifelong snow-maker, having started at age 16.

“It is it an inherited job, a family trade,” Bean said. “I learned it from my dad, Jack. He was a snow-maker and a groomer. He worked at Lee Canyon and Palisades.”

Josh’s son Jace, works at the ski area so it’s a three-generation effort. Jack is a Las Vegas native and “thriving” in retirement, said his son.

Those cold nights and mornings pay off when a snow-covered run is enjoyed by skiers and snowboarders.

The goal is to open the season early and close late to give maximum fun, Bean said.

“It’s a lot of cold, hard work and the crew has been around a long time,” Bean said. “They put their heart and soul into it to make a good product for people to come have fun. We are the catalyst for that fun.”

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.