It's not that they don't have snow; it's more a case of perception becoming reality.
For most of us, a balmy January is like a gift from heaven. But for the ski and snow board resorts in Pennsylvania, they are hoping Mother Nature turns down the thermostat and helps them salvage what's becoming a lost season.
Most of the resorts in eastern Pennsylvania have plenty of man-made snow. Wednesday morning, Blue Mountain in Palmerton reported a 24 to 36 inch base.
"We faired pretty well during the warm ups, and we've taken advantage of the opportunities at night when it has gotten cold. The only thing we need is people," said General Manager, Jim Dailey.
Resort officials say the problem is that when it comes to snow and skiing, when the weather turns balmy, for most of us, it`s "out of sight, out of mind."
"If they don't see snow in their backyard or a little bit of snow on their car when they wake up in the morning, they are not thinking about skiing and riding," said Megan Diehl, Marketing Director for Bear Creek Ski Resort.
For example, Bear Creek Ski Resort in Macungie usually opens in early December, but didn`t start the season until early January. So they have been playing catch-up getting the word out that their slopes are open.
The big winners are the snowboarders and skiers who got the message, because they are enjoying short lines at the lifts, coupled with spring-like weather.
"This is actually the first time I've seen the snow this winter," said Eric Traub.
"As fickle as Mother Nature is, you really have to go with the flow," said Marvin Dupree. "I like to ski in warmer weather, so I`m a lucky man."
The resorts are hoping for a nice wintery blast in time for the upcoming President's Day holiday weekend to attract more people to the slopes, and to remind everyone that it really is winter.
