Ski resorts more prepared but still ‘bumming’ over warm temps, lack of snow

The lack of natural snow and temperatures that made for the second-warmest December on record made it hard for ski areas to compensate by making powder snow, despite investments in recent years to reduce their reliance on natural snowfall.

The result was disappointment on the slopes of Western New York during the important holiday week between Christmas and New Year’s: A combination of grass-covered trails and, for those that were skiable, slopes that often had a swath of snow down the middle and bare ground on the sides.

The colder temperatures this week have helped with snow-making, but the local ski resorts still are running at only partial capacity – if they are able to open at all. That is a big drawback to skiers who buy daily lift tickets that can cost more than $100 a day on weekends.

“We’ll make snow at every opportunity possible, and with any luck Mother Nature will kick in some natural snow and that always makes people happy,” said Dash Hegeman, marketing director at Holiday Valley, where snow-making has allowed 14 trails with seven lifts to be open this week.

“Right now, we’re working with what we’ve got and making the best of it,” he said.

By the start of January, the average snowfall at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville is well above 40 inches. So far this season, the area has seen about half as much snow.

It has made for a challenging and costly start to the season on the slopes for places like Holiday Valley, which opened Dec. 1.

Kissing Bridge wasn’t able to open for the season until Dec. 30 and remained open through New Year’s Day, but then had to shut down Tuesday through Friday this week due to the natural snow shortage and to focus on making snow. It plans to reopen Saturday.

“We’re bumming a little bit,” said Kaitlyn Affuso, creative director at Kissing Bridge Ski Resort in Glenwood. “We’re real eager to get…