(January 27, 2012, Ellicottville, NY…) With an almost weekly weather cycle between cold and snowy and warm and rainy, the 2012 Western New York winter weather that skiers and riders usually count on has been full of tricks and twists.

But despite what Mother Nature has in mind, Holiday Valley has an amazing amount of snow. To create a thick blanket of durable base snow, Holiday Valley has, more than ever, relied on its substantial snowmaking capacity which covers 95% of the trails. At this time the resort is reporting a 14-51 inch average base depth. This weekend Holiday Valley will operate all 13 of its lifts including 3 high speed quads, 8 quads and 2 surface lifts. Over 45 slopes will be open and the resort will be hosting 2 USASA Boardercross events on the Moonshadow slope.

Over the past 10 years Holiday Valley has invested over $3.3 million in snowmaking expansions and upgrades. Spruce Lake was built in 2006 which created a 62 million gallon snowmaking reservoir at the top of the mountain. Underground pipes that carry water throughout the resort have been replaced with larger diameter pipes to increase the snowmaking capacity. Each year new snowmaking guns have been added to increase coverage.

In preparation for the 2011-2012 season the resort installed a new automated snowmaking system on one of its main trails, the mile long Mardi Gras. The HKD Klik automation system has proven to be a wise investment, as all 28 guns can be turned on or off simultaneously, allowing for the resort to make snow in short windows of cold temperatures.

The weather is predicted to continue to fluctuate through the next week, but Holiday Valley snowmakers are standing by to make more snow at every opportunity. According to Director of Mountain Operations, Steve Crowley, “We’ll be making snow ’round the clock as weather permits through the month of February. The Mountain Crews are committed to doing their best so that our skiers and riders can have a great time at Holiday Valley.”