Created: 11/20/2009 6:34 PM KSTP.com | Print |  Email By: Becky Nahm

Warm November Frustrates Ski Businesses

Minnesota's warm November weather is causing real frustration for area ski hills.

Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls did manage to open about three weeks ago.

It was the first midwest ski hill to open this year. It's been the first to open in the midwest for 34 years running according to vice president Amy Frischmon.

Last year's opening day was Oct. 28. This year it was two weeks later.

But the warm weather has meant that snowmaking crews must be on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Frishmon said, "One minute it's humid and warm and the next minute it gets cold and you just have to be ready the minute that happens and take whatever opportunity you can."

Snow can be made when temperature plus humidity is below 100. That's happened four times this week, which allowed the crews to build up a base of as much as three feet of snow.

The cost of maintaining the base and the late start to the season are costing Wild Mountain thousands of dollars. They can only hope that more cold and snow later this winter will help them make up for lost revenue.