YOU. OKAY. SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CONDITIONS AT THE RESORTS? JOINING US NOW TO TALK ALL ABOUT THAT IS KEVIN COOP COOPER, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS AT CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN RESORT. HEY COOP. THE LAST TIME WE TALKED, YOU HAD SNOW. THAT WAS ABOVE YOUR HEAD. SO THAT WAS LAST YEAR. BUT IT'S EXCITING FOR YOU. I'M SURE THAT THE SNOW IS FALLING AND I'M SURE YOU'RE STOKED BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THERE. SO HOW ARE THE CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW? NO SNOW ABOVE YOUR HEAD YET? NOT QUITE YET, BUT GREAT QUESTION. >> I'LL TELL YOU THE TALE OF TWO WINTERS, RIGHT? EACH YEAR WE GO INTO THE WINTER, WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET. LAST YEAR AT THIS POINT BEHIND ME HERE AT THE HIPPIE HOUSE, WE HAD PROBABLY 15FT OF SNOW ALREADY TODAY. WE'VE GOT ABOUT 12IN OF SNOW. SO IT'S STILL A GOOD START TO THE SEASON. BUT I'LL TELL YOU, THIS IS A GREAT START RIGHT NOW. MOTHER NATURE CAME IN. SHE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB. THIS WAS INTERESTING WATCHING BECAUSE WE WERE WATCHING THAT JET TAKE EVERYTHING UP TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. IF YOU'RE UP IN THE PNW RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE TALKING THREE, FOUR, FIVE FEET OF SNOW. BUT IT WAS NICE BECAUSE IT SLIPPED ALL THE WAY DOWN, DOWN JUST BELOW DODGE RIDGE, UP THROUGH BEAR VALLEY, MCCORMACK CANYON, KIRKWOOD AND THE TAHOE BASIN, THE NORTH SHORE RESORTS, THEY GOT THE LION'S SHARE OF IT BECAUSE THAT SNOW WENT RIGHT UP I-80, YOU'RE TALKING 14, 15IN OF SNOW, SETTING UP THE MOUNTAIN OPERATIONS TEAMS. BUT IT ALSO SLIPPED IN THE MCCORMICK CANYON. SO BEAR VALLEY GOT A GOOD FIVE INCHES OF SNOW. SO THAT'S A GREAT START. WE'RE JUST WATCHING IT. BUT WE JUST HEARD SONIA TALK ABOUT THE TEMPERATURES, THE MOUNTAIN OPERATION TEAMS TONIGHT ARE BLOWING SNOW AND THEY WILL MAKE SNOW ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS. JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE BEST SLEDDING SURFACES FOR ANYBODY WHO COMES UP TO THE WESTERN SLOPE OR THE SIERRA. THAT'S GREAT THAT IT'S COLD ENOUGH FOR THEM TO DO THAT. >> AND SO ARE THERE SKI RESORTS OPEN? ARE THERE GOING TO BE ONES THAT ARE OPENING THIS WEEKEND OR ANYTIME SOON? BECAUSE I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE ITCHING TO GET OUT ON THE SLOPES. >> I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE GREAT QUESTION, BECAUSE YOU CAN COME UP AND HAVE A GREAT TIME LEVEL, SET YOUR EXPECTATIONS. IT'LL BE LIMITED TERRAIN, BUT BEAR VALLEY OPENS UP ON SATURDAY. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE THEIR FIRST OPERATING DAY. KIRKWOOD MOUNTAIN RESORT IS OPEN AND THEN ALL THE NORTH SHORE RESORTS, YOU'VE GOT THE ALPINE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT SQUAW VALLEY. IT'S OPENED UP. HEAVENLY MOUNTAIN RESORT IS OPENED UP, SUGAR BOWL IS OPEN. SO EVERYBODY'S GOT LIMITED TERRAIN. MOUNT ROSE HAS BEEN SEEING GREAT SNOW ALL SEASON LONG. SO FAR, SO LIMITED TERRAIN, BUT STILL GREAT SKIING AND RIDING. SO AND EVEN THE NICE PART, THOUGH, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU CAN STILL COME UP, RIGHT? TODAY I BROKE OUT THE CROSSCUT SKIS SO YOU CAN STILL GET OUT EVEN AT LAKE LEVEL AND GET OUT AND GET A LITTLE SKATE IN AND THEN GO UP TO THE MOUNTAIN. SO, YES, WINTER'S BACK. AND TONIGHT WE MIGHT SEE ANYWHERE UP TO A FOOT, DEPENDING ON ELEVATION AND THE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE STORM COMES. IT'S COMING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TONIGHT. SO MAYBE THE SOUTH SHORE WILL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SNOW. >> YEAH, FINGERS CROSSED. LAST YEAR WE TALKED ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND. IT WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO THE SNOW RIGHT. WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR THIS YEAR? BECAUSE ALL OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THE AREA, THEY'RE ALL COUNTING ON IT. ALL OF OUR SKI AND SNOWBOARDER LOVERS ARE COUNTING ON IT. WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR? >> BALANCED? THAT'S THE WORD FOR THIS YEAR. LET'S JUST GET A LITTLE BIT OF A BALANCE. RIGHT. SO REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE WERE SEEING THOSE MASSIVE STORMS COME THROUGH, SHUTTING DOWN I-80, HIGHWAY 50, STATE ROUTE 88. I MEAN, THAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE, RIGHT? THE ROADS WERE CLOSING DOWN AND THEN THERE WAS SO MUCH SNOW THAT THE AVALANCHE MITIGATION EFFORTS WE JUST KIND OF HAD TO PUT IT, YOU KNOW, BY THE WAYSIDE. NOT YOU KNOW, NOT THAT WE WEREN'T DOING IT, BUT WE HAD TO SLOW IT DOWN BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH SNOW COMING IN THIS YEAR. JUST A REALLY NICE BALANCE. LET'S JUST SAY MAYBE WE GET 12 TO 14IN TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THEN THE ROADS OPEN UP FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FOR THE WEEKEND. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WE'LL TAKE WHATEVER WE CAN GET BECAUSE THE NICE PART ABOUT THIS MOTHER NATURE IS BACK. WE'RE SEEING MORE MOISTURE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAT'S HELPING US OUT FOR DROUGHT. IT'S HELPING US OUT FOR FIRE SEASON AND EVERYTHING. SO WE'LL TAKE WHAT WE CAN GET AND WE'LL SLIDE ON WHAT SHE DELIVERS. BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT SEASON AHEAD. >> YES. AND COOP, YOU MENTIONED IT REAL QUICK. HOW ARE THE ROAD CONDITIONS FOR ANYONE THAT DOES PLAN ON GOING? >> THEY'RE THEY'RE SLICK. SO HAVE YOUR BE DEFINITELY BE READY . OKAY. GET THAT ROAD KIT TOGETHER AGAIN. CHAINS IF YOU'RE IN AN EV CAR, HAVE THE CHARGE BEFORE YOU COME UP HERE. CHARGE IT RIGHT AT THE BASE. IF YOU'RE IN SACRAMENTO ON 50, CHARGE IT UP IN FOLSOM, NYACK. IF YOU'RE COMING UP ON I-80, 80, DEFINITELY HAVE WATER, BLANKETS, FLARES, HAVE THAT ROAD KIT, HAVE SOME EXTRA STUFF IN THERE BECAUSE CALTRANS WILL DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO KEEP IT OPEN. BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME, THEY MIGHT HAVE TO SHUT THE ROADS DOWN. SO IT'S BETTER TO BE PREPARED. SO YOU CAN GET UP HERE AND SKI AND HAVE A GREAT TIME. >> GOOD ADVICE. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M HOPING THE NEXT TIME WE TALK, MAYBE YOU HAVE FOOT UP TO MAYBE BETWEEN THE KNEE AND THE WAIST. I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD. RIGHT >> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. >> ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO CHECK BACK
