Snow from latest storm helps China Peak move closer to opening date for season

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The latest storm is delivering much needed snow in the Sierra and that's great news for ski resorts.

As of early Wednesday afternoon the China Peak Mountain Resort reported four to eight inches of fresh snow so far.

The ski resort in the Sierra of Fresno County looks like a winter wonderland. And this week's snow will likely help the resort open this weekend.

Officials had hopes of opening over the Thanksgiving Day Holiday.

"This is fantastic! I mean we shoot for that date but this is great. If we open on Saturday which hopefully we will it is all positive," said Mark Sullivan, China Peak Mountain Resort.

Sullivan is one of the crew members watching the conditions near Huntington Lake.

For the past week the resort has been making man-made snow but if they get a foot and a half of fresh snow by the end of the week, chair lift one will likely be in operation on Saturday, December 1st.

"We will continue to make snow, as much as we can because we are supposed to get single temperatures at night in the coming week or so. We make it on the break overs and the high traffic areas," he said.

The recent storms have the staff at China Peak looking up after the ski resort was forced to close temporarily in the middle of last winter due to a lack of snow.

"Last year is in the past. This is fantastic right now. We're moving forward and we are not looking back," said Sullivan.

The China Peak staff says the official decision to open on Saturday will be made on Friday morning.