Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Warming temperatures bring early close to area ski hills

By TOM STANKARD

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As warm temperatures continue, melting snow is causing an early end to the season for skiers and snowboarders.

The forecast calls for continued warm weather.

Near Bessemer, Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort declared it will close Saturday for the season. Bruce Noren, general manager, said the earliest the mountain closed was in February, 1999.

"It's been a strange snow year. With these warm nights, we've taken a hit," Noren said on Wednesday afternoon.

On Wednesday, the mountain had a 22- to 40-inch base of snow and 28 trails open.

Whitecap Mount...