Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort opens 50th season - FOX5 Vegas - KVVU

Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort opens 50th season

While many people were navigating the stores and crowds on Friday, skiers and snowboarders were maneuvering the slopes of Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort.

The resort welcomed winter sports enthusiasts on opening day of its 50th season.

"It's nice to be up here in the peaceful snow. Down there, it's probably crazy," said skier Megan Koloskie.

Mount Charleston got about eight inches of natural snow in the past few days, which melted off. Still, skiers and snowboarders enjoyed the man-made powder.

"We just love riding, you know. (I've been) coming here a long time. I was riding here in high school about 10 years ago," said snowboarder Sean Maphis.

The resort hosted a few hundred people, and a spokesperson said the lack of natural snow is normal during the start of the season.

"It really looks like in the next couple of weeks the pattern will start to change. The first of December, second of December, (we'll get) colder air moving into the area," said Kevin Stickelman, Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort general manager.

Last year, the mountain only got 162 inches of snow, well below average. A normal season would see about 240 inches.

"It's usually like this the first month of the year, and then they get the big dump and it's great until April," Maphis said.

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