Minnesota's ski hills get much needed snow

BURNSVILLE, Minn. (KMSP) - Most of Minnesota received its first significant snow of the season on Saturday and for ski hills in the area it could not have come soon enough.

Ski hills like Buck Hill in Burnsville, Minn. had been struggling to make the snow needed to bring in business with the warm temperatures the state experienced for much of December.

The sudden return to winter weather also came just in time for families and students home for holiday break and looking to enjoy winter sports like skiing and snowboarding.

"El Niño you know it's a great year for people to get out and ski or snowboard just because of the fact that it's warmer,” Tom Schultz, a spokesperson for Buck Hill, said. “You know the idea of getting subzero in an El Nino year because it just doesn't happen so we are expecting a good crowd this season.”