China Peak resort to open this weekend amid expected cold temperatures

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Chairlifts at China Peak Mountain Resort will soon start moving again thanks to the season's first significant storm.

"We've got about eight inches on the ground," says CEO Tim Cohee. "Tonight is probably going to be the biggest snow-making night we've seen in three years."

Cohee says the conditions are perfect to begin snow-making Thursday in anticipation of opening weekend as they hope to have skiing from the top of the mountain available.

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"Should be opening on Saturday," he said. "Hopefully, a couple of lifts on Saturday and then just batten down the hatches for what's coming next week, looks pretty big.

Early forecasts show a hard and fast dump of snow coming to the Sierra Nevada beginning Tuesday.

The resort plans to open on weekends at first until conditions allow for full-time operations on December 17.

"If you have a solid Christmas vacation, the odds are you're going to have a solid year," Cohee said. "It just seems to work out that way. When you get early snow like this, it generally develops a pattern. To have this much snow this early is big."

Opening weekend is a welcome sight for fans of Winter recreation -- Cohee expects plenty of pent-up demand from those ready to hit the slopes following such a dry season.

"This weekend should be fine, roads should be fine by then," he said. "They're already in good shape, a fantastic Caltrans crew up here have already gotten the roads ready to go. We'll be shut down Monday through Thursday. That's when it's going to snow a lot, probably ready to go Friday and then we'll be on our regular schedule."