UPDATE:  49 Degrees did NOT open on Saturday as predicted. The news release from which this post was written did not mention any contingency that the resort would not open if more snow did not fall overnight.  I am not pleased with that misleading information.

WINTERSPORTS -- Chair lifts will open Saturday morning at 49 Degrees North, the first regional ski resort to announce the start of the 2016-17 ski and snowboard season.

Lift 1, Lift 3 and Lift 5 will run from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.  Opening Day lift tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children 6-14, college and military.

Skiers and riders will have access top-to-bottom with a 16 inch base, the Chewelah-based resort says in a release. Still, caution will be required in the slim coverage of early season.

"Silver Ridge to King & Queen as well as Big Bear, Bugaboo are in good early season conditions. The snow has set up nicely with a solid 6 inch base with 10 inches of powder on top." 

Watch out for the driving weather, though. The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook with light to moderate snow through Monday.