HANSEN, Idaho — Magic Mountain ski area pushes snow from the parking lot to the tubing hill as owners wait for the season opening.
Recent storms brought moisture to the Magic Valley this week, and some snow did fall in the South Hills, but it wasn't enough to open Magic Mountain ski area for the season.
WATCH | Magic Mountain has received snowfall, but more is needed for a season opening—
Neighborhood Reporter Lorien Nettleton rode in a snow cat with Gary Miller, owner of Magic Mountain in the Sawtooth National Forest south of Twin Falls, to see how this winter is shaping up.
"We've never had an issue like this … it's just a killer.. It's hard," Miller said.
On the night of Wednesday, January 7, the USDA snow gauge recorded over 5 inches of new snow.
"Today, what we're doing is we're taking all the snow off the parking lot and pushing it into the tubing hill," Miller said.
Nettleton was hopeful that the ski area would finally have enough snow to open for the season, but Mother Nature had been reluctant to help out.
"About four weeks ago, we had about 14 inches. Everything looked good. We was hoping to open, and then the next day it rained. And then after that, it was 50° up here for about three weeks," Miller said.
"My little granddaughter sent me a video of her last night, praying for Magic Mountain to get some snow," said Suzette Miller, Gary's wife and co-owner of Magic Mountain.
Suzette Miller said that in 20 years as owners, they've only had one other year where they had to wait until January to open.
"It really, really hurts when you missed the holiday season because that's where you make most of your money," Suzette Miller said.
"We're so close right now, and I know everybody wants to come out and ski, and we want it just as bad as you do, trust me," Gary Miller said.
There's still a lot of winter ahead, so there's a strong likelihood of more snow down the road. But the outlook in the short term for clear skies means we'll have to keep waiting.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
