TUOLUMNE COUNTY, Calif. — The past few weeks have been busy for ski resorts in the Tahoe area due to a few storm systems, but things have been quiet in other parts of the Sierra... until now.
Employees at Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort are working hard Friday ahead of the main weather event this weekend.
“We are in the middle of a storm system that should bring us up to 24 inches in the next 24-48 hours,” said Hanna Craig with Dodge Ridge.
It’s coming right on time for skiers and snowboarders to hit the slopes over the weekend. Saturdays and Sundays are the only two days of the week the resort has been open so far this season.
“We’re operating on early season conditions. We’re still waiting on Mother Nature to bring us snow,” said Craig.
And as Mother Nature is set to deliver, workers are organizing.
“We’re moving snow from some of our parking lot areas to some of the chairlifts that need additional snow on the loading and unloading areas,” said Craig.
“It’s way better than last year,” said base area director Eric Sandberg.
Officials had to wait until after New Year’s to open last season.
“Any time we can get open before the holidays is great,” said Sandberg.
But the resort isn’t the only beneficiary.
“A lot of the local businesses down in the Sonora, Soulsbyville, Twain Harte areas really rely on that tourism to come up on the mountain. As long as Highway 108 is open and we’re open, it brings a lot of draw from the Bay Area to the Valley, Sacramento region,” said Craig.
Ski resort workers and Mother Nature are now working together to boost the local economy.
“We get excited when the snow starts to fly. It’s something we all look forward to all season long. It’s snow… come up,” said Craig.
Resort officials say anyone planning to come up over the weekend should check their website for updates and be careful on the roads.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: California Weather | Two storms expected this week in our region
