Big White first ski hill to open in B.C.

Friday the 13this on track to bea lucky day for both powder hounds andtheoperators of Big White Ski Resort.

The ski hill in the Monashee Mountains nearKelownahas announced it will be making its earliest opening in 14 years two weeks earlier than scheduled thanks to a recent big dump of snow.

"We have machinery out on the mountain and there's a lot of people here smiling," said Michael J. Ballingall, sr. vice president of Big White. "On Friday we'll open three of our chair lifts and one gondola, but with this new snowfall coming we may be able to open more."

Big White has received 61 centimetres of snow in the last seven days, and another 15 to 20 centimetres is expected to fall tonight.

Forecasters have been predicting a warmer than normal winter butBallingal says people may not realize thatcan be good news for Okanagan skiers.

"All this news about the blob in the oceanand the big El Nino that's coming, well obviously in the Okanagan Valley that means champagne powder snow," he said.

Early season skiers and snow boarders will get a discount as well, with liftpasses going for50 per cent off until conditions allow for more runs to open.

Ballingall estimatesclose toa 2,000keenerswillhit the Big White slopes on opening day.

"I'm sure there's going to be a few kids skipping school Friday morning," he added.