RIRIE, Idaho (KIFI) — The brisk winter weather makes some people want to stay huddled indoors, but it makes others want to go hit the ski slopes.
Kelly Canyon Ski Resort has had record numbers of visitors this weekend. The cold temperatures aren’t that much of a worry for now, and the fact that the weather has consistently stayed cold has been great for the slopes.
“The temperatures have been pretty good for a few weeks, so it’s allowed us to groom and get the snow in a good spot,” said Kelly Canyon Ski Resort General Manager, Doug Swanson. “When you have warm weather to extreme cold weather, then you have a lot of freezing and icy stuff. There’s more things to worry about then.”
Swanson says these cold weather conditions are the best a ski resort could ask for. The recent snow was light and fluffy—perfect for skiing and snowboarding.
Swanson also says the resort has ways to see if the weather gets bad enough to close down for the day.
“Our lifts have safety systems…and actually detect the wind and the gust itself. So it’ll send us alarms and warnings to understand and watch that kind of thing,” said Swanson.
Swanson says the resort keeps a close eye on the weather forecast. Employees have a meeting every day to figure out the current and oncoming weather conditions and how many rescue team members should be on hand for that day. The resort’s employees want to make sure its visitors are always safe.
