Oregon Public Broadcasting

Hundreds of skiers hit the slopes at Mt Bachelor and Mt. Hood this weekend.

That's because ski season started little earlier than normal.  Last year, the Mt Bachelor ski area didn't open until December 13th.

In Bend, Ethan Lindsey reports.

Last year's opening was abnormally late, and some meteorologists predicted little snow this year, due to the El Nino weather patterns.

But some western resorts, including Whistler-Blackcomb in Canada, are already reporting record November snow.

Alex Kaufman is the marketing manager for Mt Bachelor.

He says opening in time for Thanksgiving could bring a lot of extra skiers, and revenue. And early powder provides a good snow base, which can make for better skiing later.

Alex Kaufman: "Getting a good start, so that heading into Christmas, our phones are ringing now – as opposed to waiting until Christmas. That momentum is key."

Hoodoo and Willamette Pass are both scheduled to open the weekend after Thanksgiving.