GREAT FALLS — Showdown Montana ski area hopes to be open Saturday after being closed Thursday and Friday because power was knocked out during Wednesday’s windstorm.
Showdown had hoped to be able to reopen Friday, but as of late Thursday power still had not been restored.
While the closure may be short-lived, Showdown general manager Katie Boedecker said it’s tough on employees.
"Any day that Showdown has to be closed is a tough day for us. During the week, we employ 50 employees. On the weekends, we employ up to 100 employees a day,” said Boedecker.
She thanks NorthWestern Energy for working as quickly as possible to get power restored.
The nearby communities of Neihart and Monarch also lost power during the windstorm and were also still in the dark as of Friday afternoon.
The powerful winds that rocked most of Montana on Wednesday caused widespread damage - tipping semi trucks, toppling trees, ripping roofs, and more. Wind gusts topped 75 miles per hour in many areas, and the National Weather Service in Great Falls said: "This is an extreme wind event even for this area."
