With 5 fresh inches of powder and more forecast, Monarch Mountain is hopeful the storm forecast to last through Saturday will bring enough snow to open its new 377 acres of terrain.  

“We are very hopeful this storm will give us the last little bit,” said Chris Haggerty, general manager. 

Monarch is opening up a new chairlift to the area called No Name Basin that will double the resort’s terrain, The Gazette reported previously. 

People can work in the ski industry for their entire career “and never have something so significant happen at their resort,” Haggerty said.  

The National Weather Service is predicting 5 inches of snow Saturday at Monarch as part of the ongoing storm that could last through Sunday. It is a welcome addition to the 21-inch base. 

“It is looking awesome,” Haggerty said, about the conditions Friday afternoon.  

With a below-average snowpack across the Rockies, the early season has been a good time to ski groomed runs at Monarch, Haggerty said. But on Friday, skiers and boarders were able to get into the trees. 

“You are hearing the ‘Woohoos’ that we have been missing,” he said. 

 Visitation has also been down a bit so far this season, with fewer visitors from the Front Range, he said. But the number of people who bought season passes and have come to vacation has been stable.