So much snow fell at Red Lodge Mountain Resort over the weekend that employees there haven't been able to get to the ski area to measure it.

"I haven't seen a snowstorm in Red Lodge like this in a long time," said Robert Drake, head of marketing for the resort.

Data from a remote weather station at the ski area indicates some 46 inches of snow has accumulated on the Miami Beach run, Drake said.

"It's a good start to a good base," he said.

The resort office was closed Monday and could stay closed through Wednesday as employees wait for county crews to clear the road.

The county has been so busy clearing roads in town that crews haven't been able to get to the resort's road, Drake said.

Employees are talking about trying to snowshoe or ski to work. Drake said they are eager to fire up snow machines and begin making more snow.

"Normally we'd be starting on bare ground," he said.

Despite the jumpstart on snow -- it usually doesn't accumulate on the mountain until late October -- the ski area's opening date is expected to remain as Friday, Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving.

Montana Department of Transportation officials closed Beartooth Pass on for the season after more than four feet of snow fell in the area during the weekend. The scenic stretch of U.S. Highway 212 south of Red Lodge connects the community with Cooke City and the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Beartooth Pass traditionally opens the Friday before Memorial Day, and usually closes sometime in October due to snow.