Mild temps mean less snow for Las Vegas ski resort

The good news is that you’ll have a few days to let the turkey settle before you get on skis.

The bad news is you’ll have to wait a few days before you get on skis.

The Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort had to push back its Friday opening with abnormally mild weather expected over Thanksgiving weekend.

A precipitation system had been expected to roll through on turkey day, but it looks like unseasonably warm temperatures won’t actually budge until early next week at the soonest, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Outler. That means the white stuff won’t reach the mountains until at least then.

Meteorologists have been eyeing a precipitation system in Northern California that should creep into Las Vegas on Monday at the earliest, Outler said. By Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather service is forecasting snow at elevations higher than 6,000 feet, and rain for lower elevations.

Highs for Mount Charleston are forecast in the 50s for this weekend, and temperatures will be around freezing at night, Outler said. But the slopes can’t open if daytime temperatures aren’t cold enough to keep man-made snow frozen, the ski and snowboard resort said.

The resort had snow machines shipped in to account for low precipitation levels and started blowing man-made snow last week. It’s made from snow run-off collected in the resort’s 10 million-gallon reservoir, resort marketing director Jim Seely said.

“There has to be 72 hours of freezing temperatures to make enough snow and to get good coverage,” he said.

Seely said at least eight machines have been brought in this season to make snow.

Resort staff it ready to go, spokeswoman Veronica Kawka said, they’re just waiting for the weather to fall in step.

“We always say, ‘A late season means a great season,’ because we’ll hopefully see more snow later on,” Kawka said.

The resort’s new planned opening date is now Dec. 5, Kawka said, weather permitting.

In the meantime, Kawka urged mountain-goers to stay off snow patches so their manufactured snow doesn’t melt and go to waste.

For those who wouldn’t mind driving a few extra hours to catch some powder, Brian Head Resort in Utah is offering a special price on lift tickets for the Thanksgiving weekend.

The resort, celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, announced Wednesday that tickets will be sold for $25 for adults and $18 for children and seniors.

Brian Head is also experiencing a lack of adequate snow coverage and will only have the Training Grounds terrain park and BlackFoot lift open with access to only three runs until they can open more runs and lifts, according to a news release.

The milder-than-usual mountain temperatures also mean a warmer weekend for the Las Vegas Valley, Outler said. Periodic high clouds may appear with high temperatures in the upper 60s and into the 70s, but rain is unlikely until Tuesday or Wednesday, Outler said.

The high for Thanksgiving Day is expected to be 68 degrees and the nighttime low is forecast at 48 degrees for the valley, Outler said. The normal high for Thursday is 61, and the low usually drops to 42.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber. Contact Cassandra Taloma at ctaloma@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0391.