Good news for Richmond-area skiers (like our friends at the Richmond Ski Club): Wintergreen is open for business. The nearest ski resort to RVA opened Friday, Dec. 7, a week earlier than expected.

Snowmaking at Wintergreen. Credit: Fenton Inn

According to Erin Conway’s report in the Lynchburg News and Advance: Weather around the resort has been colder and wetter than usual this year, “which allows over 400 automated snow guns to produce snow for skiing earlier than usual.”

Of course, the storm that blasted Virginia this past Sunday was also a huge boon to Wintergreen. Some areas around Lynchburg received over 17 inches of natural snow. Click here for the up-to-the-minute snow report on the mountain.

And in case you’re wondering, Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia, another ski destination super popular with Central Virginians, is also open and has already received 23″ of natural snow this year.