Ski resorts trying to entice visitors amid warm weather
Pam Fletcher, Nashoba's director of marketing and a 1988 Olympics alpine skier, on the slopes Thursday, when temperatures climbed into the 60s.
It feels like spring, but ski slopes in Central Massachusetts want potential patrons to know they are still white.
Ski Ward in Shrewsbury, Wachusett Mountain in Princeton and Nashoba Valley Ski Area in Westford all reported having most ski runs open Thursday morning.
It's a critical week for ski areas, coming as many schools are off for February vacation. In Worcester, the skating rink at Worcester Common was closed for the season Wednesday as temperatures in the 50's and bright sunshine made the ice unsafe. The Worcester Common website said the rink will remain closed for the rest of the winter.
"We can't compete with Mother Nature!" the website said.
Ski Ward reported that it had all nine of its trails open. Wachusett, which debuted new snowmaking equipment this year, said it had 26 trails and seven lifts open.
"If the warm weather can't stop us, nothing can!" Wachusett said on its website. "With temperatures reaching 60 today, we will keep up with 100-percent of our machine groomed trails open, operating by seven lifts."
At Nashoba Valley, all 17 ski runs were reported open.
"I'll tell you, it's one of the best times to ski," said Pam Fletcher, Nashoba's director of marketing.
Warm temperatures and sun make for soft snow, she said, creating the best conditions for those learning how to ski or snowboard. The mountain still has several feet of snow in some areas, she said, helped by several snowstorms and Nashoba's own snowmaking crew.
"Those guys are rock stars," Fletcher said. "We'd never survive in New England without them."
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