Mt. Ashland Ski Area is scheduled to open Dec. 10, but an early blast of winter white on Wednesday night drew a few diehards to the mountain Thursday morning to test their skiing muscles and gauge the slopes.

The ski area website Thursday said 12 inches of snow fell overnight, and another foot or more is possible from storms heading this way.

To see the slopes for yourself, check the live Mt. A webcams at mtashland.com/webcams/