Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

HANCOCK -- There's good news for all you skiers and snowboarders in the Copper Country as Mont Ripley announced that they will be open this weekend.

In order for the ski hill to open, around 16 inches of snow has to be on the ground.  Sixteen snow guns are currently making snow for the hill's opening weekend.

"What we're saying is we went from brown ground to ski down in one week," said general manager Nick Sirdenis. "A week ago it was 60 degrees Thanksgiving day and it didn't look too good, and then temperatures dropped on Friday, and we started making snow, and the crew was working around the clock and moving guns left and right just to get it patched up so it's good to ski."

The general manager says the ski hill will be closed next week during the weekdays so they can make more snow which will help combat the upcoming warm temperatures. Lift tickets for this weekend are $20.