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Frigid cold weather keeps skiers home during holiday week

Matthew Snyder
/
via Flickr

There is plenty of snow on the ground, but frigid temperatures are keeping people away from upstate New York’s ski mountains.

With schools out for winter break last week, President’s Day week is usually a key money-maker for ski slopes. But temperatures barely got into the double digits last week and despite good conditions, many skiers stayed inside.

Jim Hickey, who owns Toggenburg Ski Resort south of Syracuse, says it was “crazy” how cold it was last week.

"It just affects people because the news and the weather people are telling people not to leave their homes because they’re going to frostbite," he said. "Well, skiers layer and they wear masks."

But that keeps the more casual and novice skiers away.

"It’s the marginal ones that want to go out with their friends and ski and learn to ski and maybe rent equipment and find out what it’s all about, they’re not leaving their couch, they’re going to stay right home," he said.

Until this cold snap, he says the season was going alright. "We were, until President’s break. That just slapped everybody cause people weren’t coming out and it’s typically when kids are out of school," he said, "you’re very, very busy during the week"

There is plenty of snow on the ground. Hickey says he’s hopeful that will keep weekend visits high during March as conditions stay good going into the spring.