With six days before its scheduled opening for the 2008 winter season, skiers and snowboarders are wondering where the snow has gone in Whistler, B.C.
While many might think the lack of snow is a miserable sight on the mountain, snow making manager Jodie McCutcheon says it's a sight for sore eyes.
"It takes a lot of pressure off my snow making team that's for sure"
McCutcheon is in charge of making snow on both Whistler and Blackcomb. Not an easy task this November.
"We've had a lot of yo yo weather, where the freezing levels going up and so. So were chasing the freezing temperatures with our snow making stuff."
The snow machines are working whenever temperatures drop below minus two degrees. Even as recently as Wednesday, the sun was playing havoc with efforts to blanket the mountain. And hopes that both mountains may open a week early were dashed.
Still the last couple days have put November on course to meeting the average snowfall for this particular month that is if the snow continues to fall, which it's supposed to.
If forecasts are correct, by Tuesday the mountain will have received between 27 - 45 centimeters, bringing the total close to the average of 148 centimeters.
But of course, this is a resort that bills itself as well above average, not to mention an Olympic venue.
Tabetha Boot, a resort spokesperson, says they have a lot of snow making infrastructure.
"We can actually take the race course from bare to games ready in two weeks."
But that is something McCutcheon is planning to avoid. Snowmaking on the Olympic alpine run begins this weekend.
With a report from CTV's Whistler Bureau Chief, Sarah Galashan
