Outdoor recreation businesses rejoice at New Year's Eve snowfall

The snow is a very welcomed site for our outdoor recreation businesses. Our warm weather forced at least a dozen ski hills across the state and western Wisconsin to close earlier this week. But today, as Mariel Mos shares, the fresh powder meant plenty of fun. We went on the magic carpet and then we went on the chairlift. It was a busy day at Buck Hill in Burnsville. After so many saw the snowfall Saturday night, they made sure to hit the slopes on Sunday. There's a little bit of ice, but with the fresh powder, it makes it a little bit better. Mae Turman and her sister Ada say the snow gave the slopes more traction. It's nice to get some carving out there and it feels like you can really go down the hill nicely. Buck Hill had some setbacks in December. It was so warm and rainy on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, they had to close down. The season, because it hasn't snowed very much, we're not, yes, it is a little disappointing. But just look how much it can change in a week. You can ski better and it's not that warm, so it's not icy. So the ski actually sticks nicer to the snow, so it's a lot more fun. You can make nice turns. Sunday was the first day skiing for the Patel family this season. Grandpa and dad say the twins, Ayushi and Ishani, have been waiting a long time for real snow. They got their rental skis in October and they were patiently waiting until November and now we are in January almost. But the wait was worth it. I think it was really nice. It was kind of hard because I tripped a few times. I don't think there's any better way to celebrate. These skiers and snowboarders are hopeful this last-minute snow is a sign for what's to come in the new year. It's just a great way to bring in the new year. Buck Hill is going to be having their own New Year's Eve celebration tonight with food, music and champagne and the runs are going to be open until 1130 tonight, so you can truly ski and snowboard until the final minutes of 2023. At Buck Hill, Marielle Mose, WCCO News. Buck Hill plans to capitalize on the fresh snow and make more of it overnight, so New Year's Day will be another great ski day.