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It may seem counter-intuitive but as the snow and ice melt into slush, ski hills in the province are benefiting.
In Fort Qu’appelle, Mission Ridge Winter Park’s business manager Anders Svenson said he’s excited about the “super mild temperatures.”
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“We don’t often get spring skiing in February,” he said, adding how it’s a bonus at this point in the season with people able to go out without putting on a “big fat parka.”
According to Svenson, the current conditions are ideal since daytime temperatures hover around freezing and then drop overnight.
It means the ski hill’s cat operators can till everything up and make sure there’s “really consistent snow conditions” at the start of each day, he said.
Part of the reason Mission Ridge copes so well in the mild weather is because of its design.
“Having a north-facing slope, we don’t see direct sunlight until middle of March,” Svenson said.
Although the flats on the top and bottom of the slope experience an impact when it’s warmer, the actual area where people ski is, “not nearly as affected as one might think.”
There’s also the type of snow, with the park relying on man-made snow that’s able to withstand heat better than its natural alternative.
“When the snow in your backyard shrinks an inch, ours shrinks a millimetre,” he said.
According to Svenson, that’s because man-made snow is a different consistency, having a higher moisture content and more density compared to your usual light, fluffy snow.
Although Optimist Hill General Manager Todd Harms said the ideal conditions are -10 C with no wind, the recent milder weather is “beautiful” because everybody wants to get outside. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)
Optimist Hill uses man-made, hauled snow
Man-made snow is also part of the reason why Saskatoon’s Optimist Hill can withstand the milder weeks of winter.
General manager Todd Harms said the hill currently has about three feet of snow, and most of it was made using city water.
That’s because “Mother Nature, she’s little stingy with that stuff,” he said about natural snow.
According to Harms, private companies like Prairieland also haul in their parking lot snow, beefing up Optimist Hill’s supply.
All that snow is what allows the hill to accommodate the up to 400 people who could be there at any given time on a milder day. Although, its ability to continue operations comes as a surprise to some.
“We get a lot of phone calls right now wondering if we’re going to be open because it’s melting,” Harm said.
But, while these temperatures don’t have a dampening effect on business for either ski hill, they do prompt extra effort.
Svenson said the warmer weather means more work for Mission Ridge’s outside operations team, who have to ensure the snow stays consistent for patrons, constantly using their machines to keep up the quality.
Likewise, Harms said the maintenance of Optimist Hill is different when it’s milder, with areas like the tubing lanes necessitating more frequent grooming.
But it’s all worth it to make the most of the winter season.
“We’re in Saskatchewan. It could be summer before you know it,” Harms said.
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