WHITEFISH, MONT. (November 19, 2001) -- Big Mountain Resort announced today that the opening day of the winter ski and snowboard season, originally scheduled to begin on November 22 has been pushed back to December 7, 2001 due to lack of snow. Resort officials will consider operating during the intervening weekend of December 1 and 2, pending suitable temperatures for snowmaking and/or adequate natural snowfall to produce safe and quality conditions. $20 lift tickets will be offered through December 21 and the Frequent Skier Card offer has been extended until December 6.

"While it's always disappointing to delay our scheduled opening, we have no other option until the weather changes," said Michael Collins, President and CEO of Winter Sports, Inc., owners and operators of the resort. "Our snowmaking crews continue to work as temperatures allow and we're doing everything we can to open as soon as possible. Hopefully we'll see some significant natural snowfall and lower temperatures soon."

Big Mountain received over 30 inches of snow in October and has a 12 inch settled snow base at the summit of the mountain, but the lower terminal on Chair 7 will require additional snowfall in order to begin operation. Big Mountain does not have snowmaking capabilities on the North face and unseasonably warm temperatures have limited snowmaking operations to only a few nights to-date.

This fall, Big Mountain spent several weeks installing 3,400 feet of new snowmaking lines in the Chair 2 area. When temperatures permit operation, this snowmaking expansion will provide supplemental snow coverage on Ed's Run and Upper Mully's, in addition to portions of Hibernation ski/snowboard trail. Big Mountain averages an excess of 300 inches per year of natural snow.

Until an official opening, most village services will operate on a limited basis and the free SNOW Bus will operate when ski and snowboard trails open.

As scheduled, the annual Thanksgiving Buffet at Moguls Village Pub will occur on Thanksgiving Day. The annual "Pray for Snow" party will also happen as scheduled at the Stube & Chuckwagon Grill on Saturday, November 24th.