Potential weekend snow welcome at Sunrise ski resort
Jan 31, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
PHOENIX — Like Arizona Snowbowl near Flagstaff, Sunrise Park has been been able to stay open this winter thanks to snowmaking equipment.
Sunrise General Manager Brian Bressel said it has been almost two months since it has snowed there and they’ve been able to keep 80 percent of the mountain open. A good weekend storm could allow them to fully open the slopes.
“What it will do is improve the surfaces of the areas that are open,” he said. “That surface has been pretty firm without the natural snow, even though we’ve been grooming the heck out of it.”
Bressel said this has been the third driest winter in 110 years. Just 22 inches of natural snow has hit the hill so far.
“We should be well over 110 inches of snow by now. Usually we get about 280 to 320 inches for the season.”
Bresell said the resort hopes to be open until Easter.