No Snow? A Look At Ski Conditions This Holiday Weekend

Mountain Creek Ski Resort in Vernon, New Jersey was closed on Thursday due to inclement weather. And there was no snow. But employees there were hopeful that the resort would be able to make some of the white stuff this holiday weekend—if it's cold enough.

So far this year a lack of snow has meant fewer visitors to many ski resorts across the country. The strangely warmer temperatures also have prevented some resorts from making artificial snow.

It's a far cry from last year, when most places reported record snow amounts, along with record attendance, by early 2011.

So should you plan on going skiing over the long Martin Luther King holiday weekend? A check with some ski resorts in the region sends a pretty positive message.

—Mountain Creek says people should call before coming up because the resort isn't yet sure whether it will be able to make snow. For more information check the website here.

—Gore Mountain in North Creek, New York continues to make snow and also expects to get two to four inches of real snow. Even on Thursday, 29 trails were open. The resort is offering a special two-day ski camp for children and teens during the holiday weekend at a cost of only $210. For more information and to double check ski conditions go here.

—Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville, Pennsylvania was closed on Thursday due to the rainy weather. But the resort plans to resume normal operations on Friday with 31 trails open, more than any other resort in the Poconos. Resort employees say they will be making snow and also that there will be plenty of live entertainment throughout the holiday weekend. For more information and to check snow conditions go here.

—Windham Mountain Ski Resort in the Catskills plans to open 28 trails and 10 lifts this weekend. With the resort expecting four to six inches of fresh snow by Friday night, employees there say conditions are "fab." For more information and to check snow conditions go here.

—Whiteface in Lake Placid, New York seems to be in good shape with 53 trails and eight lifts open on Thursday. For information on snow conditions and holiday events go here.

Unfortunately for skiers, even if it's 32 degrees outside this weekend, it may not make a difference at a nearby resort like Mountain Creek. According to the resort's information, here's what is needed to make snow happen, in ski nerd speak:

What is Snowmaking?

Snowmaking is the process of creating snow by dispersing water and air-under-pressure into freezing ambient air. This produces a snowflake like structure similar to natural snow. By regulating the water content of man made snow, it can be made into light powder or a wet base snow which helps to withstand higher temperature, high skier volume, and constant grooming before melting. Snowmaking is a science that has evolved over the years through determination, research, engineering, and economics.

What we need to make it happen:

• High Pressure air and water provided by an elaborate network of pumps, compressors, valves and pipe.
• A maximum Wet Bulb Temperature of 25 degrees; the lower the temperature, the better. Wet Bulb Temperature is the temperature an air parcel would have if cooled adiabatically (no heat transfer has taken place) to saturation at constant pressure by evaporation of water into it, all heat being supplied by the parcel.
• A low Humidity of 50% or lower is ideal. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in a sample of air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a specific temperature.

What are your plans this weekend? Are you going skiing? Let us know in the comments section below.