When Can We Expect Michigan's Ski Resorts to Open For the Season?

The snowy start to the holiday season has Michiganders fired up and eager to hit the slopes.

But you know what they say about the weather here in The Mitten, right? "If you don't like it, wait five minutes."

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Remember last Thanksgiving where we got nearly 2 feet of snow dumped on us here in West Michigan? Mother Nature sure loves to keep us guessing. I mean, they don't call us a Water-Winter Wonderland for nothing!

With the recent forecasted flurries, ski resorts all along the lakeshore have their snowmakers fired up in anticipation of Opening Day. So, when can you expect to hit the slopes this season?

As one of Michigan's most notable northern ski resorts, Boyne Mountain, explains:

A Thanksgiving opener is always the goal, but not always the outcome. Temperatures drop into snowmaking range starting [Thanksgiving]...The plan is to blaze the Boyne Low-E fan guns as soon as we can. It only take a few days to solidify a couple runs....we build winter inch-by-inch. Think SNOW!

Now that Turkey Day has come and gone, how are conditions looking?

Bittersweet Ski Resort via Facebook

What to Watch:

With more lake effect snow forecasted for this coming week eager skiers can expect to hit the Boyne Highlands on Saturday, December 2.

In years past the ski resorts Up North, like Boyne Mountain and Crystal Mountain, are typically the first to open as they see higher annual snowfall amounts. But Bittersweet in Otsego just flipped the script!

Our forecast is calling for another 1 to 3 inches of snow and cooler temperatures across the coming week which is good news for nearby resorts like Bittersweet in Otsego, who had their snowmakers hard at work over the holiday weekend. Bittersweet will open their season on Wednesday, November 29!

My advice? Start digging your poles and skis out of storage and make sure your snowsuit still fits because it'll be time to hit the slopes before you know it. You can keep an eye on current weather conditions with these handy weather-cams like this one: