December has been a great month for snow sports in the Black Hills. We usually average about 150 inches of the white stuff annually, but most of that comes in the spring. February and March are prime cross-country skiing and snowmobiling months, not to mention the downhill action.

The early and mid-winter can be good, too, but like most of the West, the Black Hills have been a bit dry lately. Not this month. Deer Mountain Ski Area reports a 24-inch base, and Terry Peak Ski Area has an average 26-inch base. According to NOAA, more snow is on the way this weekend.

I haven’t been up to the slopes yet myself, so I had to settle for snapping a picture in downtown Deadwood. There’s about a foot’s worth laying on the ground in the city, but this pile on the edge of the parking lot behind the Rec Center was awfully impressive. It sure makes you appreciate the plows.