SNOWSHOE, W.Va. -- Snowshoe Mountain Resort is celebrating its largest turnout for an opening weekend in more than a decade.

Officials at the Pocahontas County resort say that over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend it saw more than 73 percent more skier visits than their opening last year.

Snowshoe decided to open early after superstorm Sandy dropped nearly 28 inches of snow at the resort. It was able to open more than 40 acres of skiable terrain. It now has seven lifts and 21 trails open.

West Virginia resorts draw more than 800,000 skier visits a year.