Brattleboro, Vermont — It’s November, so preparations for ski season are underway at ski areas across the country. In order to open, these ski areas need a few things: cold weather for snowmaking, natural snow, and employees/volunteers. However, one ski area is hoping for a type of precipitation that isn’t typically desired among ski bums.
On Saturday, the Brattleboro Ski Hill operator explained that they’re hoping for rain due to the lack of water in their snowmaking pond. They shared photos of the pond, which has water but looks bare. Opening it up with a lack of water for snowmaking and a lack of natural snowfall that has become typical for lower-elevation ski areas in New England could be challenging.
Unlike last year in Vermont, this year has been very dry in the Green Mountain State. The Northeast has been dealing with various brush and wildfires, leading to extensive fire risk. Rain isn’t ideal for ski areas, but smaller ski areas that rely on snowmaking obviously need water for their ponds.
While praying for rain is a little novel in the ski industry, I imagine they’re not the only ones in the Northeast thinking this way.
We here at Unofficial Networks hope that Brattleboro Ski Hill operates this winter. It’s one of the best deals in the ski industry, with lift tickets costing only $5.
Image Credits: Brattleboro Ski Hill, Gary King
