Local snow businesses welcome winter weather ahead

(FOX 9) - Right now the runs at Wild Mountain look more like fields of green, but operators hope within the next few hours, they will become a sea of white.

"I'm super excited. I can't wait for it. I'm a skier and I love snow, love winter so I love winter bring it on," said Nathan Hakseth, snow sports manager at Wild Mountain.

The ski hill in Taylors Falls, Wisconsin, actually opened once already this season for a few days during a cold snap back in October, until warmer weather melted the snow on the slopes.

But with the arrival of our most recent winter-like weather, crews plan to start making snow overnight and hope to open by Sunday for the rest of the season.

ski areas like Hyland Hills, Afton Alps and Theodore Wirth Park began making snow Friday morning and hope to welcome skiers within the next week or so.

"It's good snowmaking weather. It looks like we're going to have a good stretch of cold weather. Normally this time of year, it can be kind of variable. It can be warm. It can be cold. All those things. It will be exciting to see a long stretch of cold weather for us," said Hakseth.

Other ski areas like Hyland Hills, Afton Alps and Theodore Wirth Park began making snow Friday morning and hope to welcome skiers within the next week or so.

While operators at Wild Mountain hope the cold weather is here to stay.

"We were first in the nation to open a while back back in October so we're excited to be back open again," said Hakseth.