WHITEFISH – Whitefish, Whitefish Christian Academy, Swan River and Bigfork all canceled school on Wednesday due to heavy snow.
But the latest winter storm didn’t stop families from taking advantage of this day off and heading to Whitefish Mountain Resort for a powder day.
Resort spokeswoman Riley Polumbus reports that Whitefish Mountain Resort is having a drier year compared to the past two years.
The mountain received 7″ of snow in the latest total settled base at 148″. The mountain usually gets 300″ on average over the past five years.
“Certainly this will show up as a spike as far as our season pass holders go, as it is a local powder day, as it is the middle of the week, as it is a snow day,” Polumbus said on Wednesday.
Polumbus excitedly remembers snow days like today as a kid.
“I think the reason why we love winter and we’re all here in a town like this, or a community like this is because we loved snow days as a kid,” she recalled. “And the fact that they’re all having one right here is pretty fun.”
But sometimes weather cancels school for a reason and Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino had some advice for folks heading up the mountain to ski on days like Wednesday.
“People need to give themselves extra time. When road conditions decrease…slowing your speed down is one of the immediate things you can do,” Sheriff Heino told MTN News.
“The other is having good operation of your vehicle, good tires and have a plan. If you were to go in the ditch that you have a proper way of taking care of yourself,” he added.
Sheriff Heino also wanted to remind people the be careful driving because as the temperatures drop wet roads become icy and slick and it could be hazardous to drive.
Click hereto check out the latest conditions at Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Reporting by Maren Siu for MTN News
