Big Bear Mountain is the latest Southland snow resort to open

Diehard skiers and snowboarders trickled up to Big Bear Mountain Resort for opening day on Wednesday after a burst of cold weather earlier this month brought an early start to the season.

Mountain High winter resort in Wrightwood opened last week after a storm dropped snow levels throughout the Southland, assisting with snow-making efforts.

“In addition to the natural snowfall we’ve received, our extensive snow-making system has allowed us to kick off another incredible season,” Chris Riddle, vice president of marketing for Big Bear Mountain Resorts, said in a statement.

Only Chair 9 at Bear Mountain will be open on Wednesday until enough natural and manmade snow allows access to other trails and Snow Summit, the resort said. The limited access means there will be no beginner trails available at Bear Mountain on Wednesday.

The storm last week pushed the snow level down to 3,800 feet in some areas, with reports of between 4 to 6 inches in Wrightwood.

“We’re just starting our season,” Kim Hermon of Mountain High resort told The Times. “We’ve got a great winter weather pattern.”

For the time being, ski resorts will have to rely on manmade snow. Any chance of a rainstorm hitting the Southland on Thursday was nixed after it veered off course, according to the National Weather Service.

At the most, the region could see a sprinkle of rain on Friday, with partly cloudy skies eventually clearing out over the weekend.

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jason.wells@latimes.com

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