BATH COUNTY – Nearly a foot of snow and cold temperatures may be a hindrance to some, but for local ski resorts it's a perfect combination.
That is certainly the case in Bath County at the Omni Homestead Resort in Bath County. There, you will snow white mountain tops. It’s a perfect winter scene painted by Mother Nature’s 10 to 12 inches of fresh snow, which created the perfect skiing conditions.
Matt Fussell, director of recreation at the Omni Homestead Resort, was busy grooming the slopes, making what he calls perfect “corduroy” for skiers.
“It's a blessing for us really," Fussell said.
Just like kids would be excited at the first snow, Fussell said it was a similar feeling there among employees when this past weekends snowstorm started.
“It was like a big happy snow dance. It was nice,” Fussell said.
To make manmade snow for 42 acres of slopes, it normally takes 5 million gallons of water.This year, due to the snow, the staff have only used 3.5 million.
"It makes is a lot easier on us because we don't have to make as much snow. With the natural snow, it gets into places that sometimes we can't and we get to open more terrain than what we normally would,” Fussell said.
Fussell said the ski industry has already been busy this season, in part due to early snow. He expects a big crowd for opening weekend on Dec. 21.