The leaves have turned yellow as fall has settled into the Okanagan Valley. But higher up in the mountains winter has already arrived.
Although it鈥檚 still early, snow has begun to blanket the ski hills of the region鈥檚 many popular resorts, including Apex, Big White and Silver Star.
The clouds that passed through the region on Monday and Tuesday brought with them early deliveries of snow to the slopes.
READ MORE: Snow blankets Big White Ski Resort in 麻豆精选
Apex Mountain Resort near Penticton, for example, received six centimetres over the last 24 hours and is already sitting on a snow-pack of around nine centimetres near the base of the main slope, with up to 30 cm at the top.
According to general manager James Shalman, it鈥檚 not just the amount of the snow that the mountain has that determines whether they can open up and operate, but the type of snow.
鈥淎s an example there could be a 100 cm base, but if it鈥檚 light and dry then it鈥檚 no good, because the groomers can鈥檛 compact and 100 cm can act like 20,鈥� said Shalman. 鈥淗aving said that, 60 cm of snow could act like 150 if it鈥檚 a wet, heavy, consolidated base that bonds well to the ground and there鈥檚 no fracturing in the layers.鈥�
Whether the snow will stick around until the resorts begin opening in November and December is too early to tell. According to the Weather Network forecast, conditions are expected to stay below nine degrees for the next 14 days until Nov. 10, the latest forecast date that鈥檚 available.
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