Cold temperatures have led to quite a transformation since the snowguns fired up on Monday night at 10pm building a base of 15-20 inches in a matter of four days. Crystal Mountain will close the slopes on Sunday at 5pm to resume snowmaking through Thursday before re-opening on Friday, December 16 at 9am. Lift tickets this weekend (December 10-11) are $20 adult/$10 juniors with rental $20 adult/$10 juniors and $5 for children eight and under. For the very latest updates on snow conditions and open terrain please visit the Crystal Mountain Snow Report.

Crystal Mountain will open additional terrain as snowmaking and natural snow permits. The resort has a snowmaking system approaching 130 snowguns. The magic number for snowmaking is 28-degrees with the most effective conditions existing when the temperature and humidity add up to less than 100. Under ideal conditions, Crystal Mountain’s snowmaking system can produce one foot of snow, over one acre of terrain, in one hour. Approximately 12-18 inches of packed base is needed to open a slope. Ten inches of man-made snow can create seven inches of base compared to natural snow which creates just one inch.

Established in 1956, Crystal Mountain is a family-owned, four-season resort recognized as one of Parents Magazine’s Ten Best Snow Resort’s for Families (2009), Top 25 Golf Schools in America by Golf Magazine, Spa Magazine’s Best Midwest Spas three years running and named among the inaugural Detroit Free Press 16 Green Leaders in Michigan. Located in northwest lower-Michigan, a short drive from Sleeping Bear Dunes, the resort features downhill and cross-country skiing, Michigan Legacy Art Park, golf, alpine slide, water park, lodging, dining, countless year-round outdoor activities and kids programs, an IACC-approved conference center, weddings, real estate and Crystal Spa.