DAVIS, W.Va. –Skiers and snowboarders will be heading to the Mountain State this weekend as three resorts are set to open for the 2025–2026 ski season.
Timberline Mountain in Tucker County will open for the season on Thursday, followed by Snowshoe Mountain in Pocahontas County on Friday, and Winterplace in Raleigh County on Saturday.
Other resorts, such as Canaan Valley in Tucker County, are set to open on December 12, while Oglebay Resort will be ready in time for the holiday season.
Preston Cline, president of the West Virginia Ski Areas Association and director of operations at Snowshoe, said this time of year is the most exciting for the ski industry.
“Rope drop for that first chair, depending on what resort you’re at, is truly a magical experience whether you’re a die-hard skier or a weekend rider, or part of the industry itself, it’s an awesome time of the year,” Cline said.
The recent cold spell in the state is creating excellent conditions for snowmaking operations at the resorts. Under ideal conditions, snowmakers can produce over 20,000 tons of snow per hour.
Cline said that preparations for the next season begin as soon as the previous season ends.
He said that everyone is involved in preparing the mountains for the next season.
“Everyone is involved, from the snowmaking staff, to the rental staff, cleaning the ski’s, everyone is involved. Everyone has been working diligently, especially in the past month and they’re all waiting for this weekend to start it off,” Cline said.
The skiing season attracts a large crowd from other states, with the most visitors coming from Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, and Florida.
Cline said people visit West Virginia, particularly during this time, because they get to experience the amazing products the resorts offer.
He said he believes this will be one of the best opening ski seasons.
“I’ve seen pictures from Timberline and Winterplace, and I’ve been out on the hill at Snowshoe and I would say this is going to be one of the better opening weekends in the state,” Cline said.
He said he has to give credit to the staff, especially the snowmakers, because the opening wouldn’t be possible without them.
“The snowmaking and grooming staff are the heart of the industry in West Virginia and they’ve worked around the clock, for some of them for the past week at least in this current cold spell just working around the clock just to provide the product to just get where we need to be for this weekend around the state,” Cline said.
This year, the WV Ski Areas Association is bringing back its Ski Free 4th and 5th Grade Passport Program, which allows students to obtain up to three junior lift tickets at Oglebay, Canaan Valley, Snowshoe, Winterplace, and Timberline.
The five-month season brings an estimated $250 million in economic impact to the state, while also supporting 5,000 jobs at the resorts and other related businesses.
The season, weather permitting, should continue through the end of March.