Warm, wet weather hurting Massachusetts ski resorts
WESTMINSTER -- Skiers and snowboarders braved the dreary conditions on Wachusett Mountain Wednesday during a mild and wet week.
"The visibility I would say is fairly poor," said skier Yayra Musabek of Rhode Island.
Matt Maffei of Auburn did what he could to make the most of it.
"Even though we've got a little rain today we have some spring-like conditions," he told WBZ-TV.
Skier Shawn Coughlin of North Brookfield said the mountain itself had great depth, despite the weather. "They got a ton of snow," he said.
Wachusett's public relations manager Chris Stimpson told WBZ they made sure to plan ahead for the warm weather.
"Because we were able to make so much snow while we had a lot of good, cold temperatures, we're actually in a good position to withstand a little bit of warm weather and rain like we've had this week," said Stimpson.
They created nine feet of snow to be safe, which turned out to be a good idea.
"We are averaging four-and-a-half feet of snow," said Stimpson.
However, the lack of real snow on the ground, combined with the wet and warm weather are starting to take a toll.
"It's expensive to pump the water and to run the compressors to put the snow up on the mountain. Plus, when it melts off, then we have to push it back up there," which is a costly endeavor, Stimpson explained.
To make snow for skiing and snowboarding, it needs to be colder than 27 degrees, which isn't in the near forecast.
"We're always hoping for some natural snow, so we don't have to make it all ourselves," said Stimpson.
Ski areas in big need of some snowmaking temperatures...thankfully on the way this weekend (Waterville here) pic.twitter.com/P4U2xEaj7e
— Eric Fisher (@ericfisher) January 5, 2023
Other local ski resorts like Ski Bradford, Nashoba Valley and Ski Butternut are closed because of the weather this week.
Wachusett Mountain plans to stay open, and slope lovers like Maffei will turn out. "We can't say no to skiing when it's January. You got to get your skiing in when you can," said Maffei.
If you're interested in heading to Wachusett Mountain this week, here are their hours of operation:
Monday - Friday (non-holiday week): 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Weekends/Holidays and School Break Weeks: 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.