The thousands of record-high temperatures reported nationwide have ski resort operators in the Northeast sweating — and itching for a winter storm so their customers can hit the slopes.
The “blowtorch” weather pattern, as some meteorologists are calling it, has pushed back the snow season on mountains from Pennsylvania to Canada, preventing resorts from capitalizing on some of their busiest days over Christmas and New Year’s.
Many mountains in Vermont, the top region for skiing in the Northeast and the third nationwide, are behind schedule and are not seeing the numbers of customers that they usually do, according to Parker Riehle, president of the Vermont Ski Areas Association.
“It’s definitely been a slow, tough start for sure,” Riehle said. “The resorts have been off significantly from last year.”
He estimates that the mountains are at least 15 days behind the typical “ramp up to the key holiday period” of Christmas and New Year’s but is hopeful that an incoming storm before the year’s end can make up for some of the lost numbers.
“We’ve got a storm coming, a welcomed storm,” Riehle said. “They’re totally chomping at the bit and being held back, so when the first storms come through, it’s instant, people will be coming back in droves.”
What’s causing the warm spell?
Meteorologists say that El Niño — a periodic warming of ocean waters in the Pacific Ocean that alters weather patterns around the globe — is partly responsible for higher-than-average temperatures. There’s also been a stubborn high-pressure ridge over the East Coast that has temperatures spiking in the region.
And while there could be sporadic snowstorms over the winter, the NOAA Climate Prediction Center has a three-month forecast that estimates the Northeast will experience above normal temperatures and average precipitation levels.
Killington Resort in Vermont, which opened in October, was the first resort opened this season in North America. They, too, are behind pacing from last season, according to Michael Joseph, communications manager for Killington.
“We were about 30% off our Thanksgiving levels from the previous season and are looking to make up that ground however we can. More cold weather will help, but nothing beats a healthy serving of natural snow from Mother Nature,” Joseph said.
Some resorts more south of Vermont forecast their openings even later.
Too warm for the snow makers
Camelback Resort officials in eastern Pennsylvania estimate their mountain will open midweek following the New Year.
Brian Czarnecki, vice president of sales and marketing at Camelback Resort, estimates that the delays in opening will cost them up to 20% of what they typically bring in during their winter season.
“Mother nature has been quite a battle this year,” Czarnecki said. “It’s been the most challenging year I’ve had in the ski business.”
Camelback Mountain tried to ready its slopes in the days leading up to Christmas and blew snow for 55 hours but it was too warm, according to Czarnecki.
“That push resulted in about two days of trail openings before it melted and we had to close,” Czarnecki said. “The safety hazard was bigger than the return.”
Camelback has left summer-mountain activities opened and fully functioning, such as “tree-top adventure courses” and zip lines, Czarnecki said.
The employees are even operating one of the ski lifts that has been modified with a ramp at the top of the mountain so people can walk off and either take in the sights from the summit or hike down the trail, Czarnecki added.
Other places are taking a different approach to bringing in funds.
Searchmont Resort in Ontario, Canada, for example, turned to the community for financial donations to help them sustain operations for this season, according to a news release.
“If there is one definitive in this situation, it is that snow and favorable temperatures will arrive, eventually,” the news release said. “For now, however, we are looking to the community for support.”
With the first round of holidays considered to be a wipeout, many resort officials in the Northeast are looking toward the next key period.
“I think there is a huge pent-up demand for skiers, so it’s now going to be a race for operators of the large resorts in the Northeast, with all eyes on Martin Luther King Day,” Czarnecki said.
“Unfortunately, it’s a cycle, but the ski business is resilient,” he added.