Lack of cold and snow means empty ski hills, outdoor rinks in Sask.
It's not unheard of for Mission Ridge Winter Park — located about 75 kilometres east of Regina — to open in mid-December.
But the park's business manager, Anders Svenson, says this has been one of the more challenging years to make snow.
"It's less about getting snow and more about getting the temperatures," said Svenson.
WINTER 2024: El Niño will play a critical role in the weeks ahead
Ideal snow making conditions, he says, usually require temperatures below -10 C. It takes about 400 hours of those conditions to get the park fully covered.
So far, Svenson said, only about 100 hours have been completed.
That means Mission Ridge will only partially open Saturday. Other runs will be open once enough snow is made.
Svenson estimates between 10 and 15 million gallons of water have been used for the resort's 20 snow guns, which take pressurized water to create snow.
Between 10 and 15 million gallons of water have been loaded into snow guns like these to make snow at Mission Ridge this season, according to the park's business manager. (Ethan Williams/CBC)
Lawrence Blouin, general manager of Table Mountain Regional Park near North Battleford, said he's facing similar conditions.
The park hasn't been able to open yet.
"We usually try to open for the first Saturday in December," said Blouin. "We're hoping to open before Christmas."
He echoed that temperatures below -10 C during the day are best for making snow. That has yet to happen this fall at the park.
It isn't the first time Blouin has dealt with a late start to the season. He recalls similar December warmth in 2008 and 2009.
Some getting by, despite the weather
Optimist Hill in Saskatoon has now fully opened, after a partial opening earlier this month.
General manager Maxine Tebbe said she also recalls similar late starts in 2016 and 2018.
Optimist Hill is about the only place in Saskatoon with any snow this December. Its general manager estimates more than $30,000 has been spent on making snow this season. (Trevor Bothorel/Radio-Canada)
She said this year's opening weekend was very busy, a good thing for the hill, which relies on grants and fundraising outside of ticket sales.
More than $30,000 has been spent on making snow for the hill this season so far.
"We're not a city-run facility, we are a non-profit organization," she said. "We pay for that water, we pay for the power."
Finances are top of mind for Svenson as well, who said making snow is a big part of Mission Ridge's budget.
"We rely on our season pass sales," said Svenson. "And virtually every cent of that gets used for snowmaking."
Blouin said that although making snow is expensive, December only accounts for between 10 and 15 per cent of his seasonal revenue, so he's hoping for better weather in the new year.
Visit our Complete Guide to Winter for an in-depth look at the Winter Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!
"February [and] March are our biggest months," he said.
"That's when we do our big school programs. Right now we're booking 300 school kids a day … four days a week."
Outdoor rinks slowly opening across province
A few outdoor rinks are now open in Saskatoon, including sites in Briarwood, Lakeridge and Willowgrove.
None of Regina's 60 outdoor rinks are open yet.
Ray Morgan, manager of parks, maintenance and cemeteries for the City of Regina, said he hopes they'll be open by Christmas.
An employee with the City of Regina floods an outdoor rink. None of Regina's 60 outdoor rinks are open for the season yet. (Kirk Fraser/CBC)
Morgan said warm temperatures aren't helping, but neither is the lack of snow.
"It prevents the water from running off [the rink] when we pack it against the boards," he said. "It helps us build a white base underneath the ice and that really reduces the melting effect."
Even though the rinks aren't ready, Morgan said the weather has kept the city's pathways and sidewalks in good shape.
"You can still bike on them, you can rollerblade on them, you can even skateboard on them in some cases."
WATCH: Want your own backyard ice rink? Take a peek at the process
Thumbnail courtesy of Ethan Williams/CBC.
The story was originally written by Ethan Williams and published for CBC News. It contains files from Fatoumata Traore.
