"Little bit challenging"; Mass ski areas trying to make most of snowless season
BOSTON - Massachusetts skiers and ski areas are wondering where all the snow is.
"Winter is just not the same without snow," Milton resident Emily Burke scoffed.
While it may not look or feel like winter, Nashoba Valley Ski Area is making the most of this green covered season.
"Been a little bit challenging, but we've been making snow when we can and we got a nice surface right now and four trails of skiing and six lanes of snow tubbing out back," Nashoba Valley Ski Area owner, Alan Fletcher said.
Fletcher says their ski terrain is only at 25% but they are making snow every night. And all of their restaurants and lounges are fully open.
On New Years Day it was relatively busy given the lack of snow.
"We got skiing, we've got lessons, we've got rental equipment," Fletcher said.
In Wellesley, Caden Schnitnam took matters into his own hands.
The 14-year-old is a very serious skier and on the Sugarbush Free Style Ski Team. He creatively built a snowmaking system and ramp in his front yard so he can practice his jumps and tricks.
Right now, he's in Vermont because it's too warm to make snow in Massachusetts.
"It's pretty disappointing. As you can see there's a tarp over it now to preserve it, but you need cold weather to make snow. It's been really difficulty lately but hopefully it will get better," Caden said.
Victor Nascimento owns Blue Bird Fence in Watertown. His plows are prepped and ready and he thought by now he would've seen a major snow event, but because the ground hasn't frozen over his team is still installing fences as they wait for winter to arrive.
"Mother nature gives us curve balls every year. The benefit of not having the first snowstorm, we are still able to be fencing while we are 100 % geared up, we are still doing fencing. This broke the record," Victor said.
Victor says his team has been ready since mid-November. All they are waiting for is the snow to arrive.
