BURNSVILLE, Minn. — After 20-plus years of grooming snow, Brandon Kieffer has never seen a winter like this. "Very warm, very minimal snow,” Kieffer says. He's the mountain manager at Buck Hill.
On Friday morning he and his crew were hard at work getting the ski hill ready to reopen Saturday morning.
“Our plan is to be open from ten to four on Saturday,” Kieffer says.
It’s the first time in several days that he and his crew have been able to get on the hill to groom the snow.
“It hasn’t been touched all week. We try to stay off, because the more we get on it the more chance to put air into it and the more chance to melt faster,” Kieffer explains.
Even without this latest snow event, Kieffer says they still would have been able to open the ski hill on Saturday, but the snow should have a big impact when it comes to customers.
“We could see a busy day on Saturday with the snow. In the industry, we call it the ‘brown backyard syndrome.’ People think because they don't have snow in their backyard that we don't have snow on the hill which we have plenty of,” Kieffer says.
Right now Saturday will be their last day of the season, but if the snow on Sunday and Monday goes their way they could get a bonus day next Saturday.
"It all depends on what Monday brings us. if Monday brings us more rain than snow the likelihood of opening will be a little slimmer,” Kieffer says.
Snow removal companies are also getting ready after a long break from the snow.
"Oh gosh, I think Valentine was the last,” Christian Brothers co-owner Mike Ricke says.
The company owns eight snow plows and they’re hoping to have all eight of them ready to go on Sunday.
"Definitely making sure all the trucks are ready,” Ricke says. "Apparently we had a couple of trucks have issues so they're down in the mechanic getting ready."
He says Sunday will be a challenge for them, it all depends on when the snow falls, how much we get and how warm it is.
"Right now it doesn't look pretty on that end,” Ricke says.
And then possibly freezing rain on Monday?
"That's where we really black that out and try not to think about it or cry a little bit because that becomes a very hard time,” Ricke laughs. He says the rain on Monday could be a gift or a curse, one or two degrees could make all the difference.
"If it's warm enough the rain can actually melt it and wash it away, but if it's right on that border that's our trouble spot."