Rain, warm temperatures play havoc with N.B. ski hills
Ski hills across New Brunswick are trying to pump out snow after rain washed away what was left on the slopes.
Crabbe Mountain is about a week away from reopening, according to general manager Jordan Cheney.
"We're starting over from scratch, basically," he said.
"It did tail off with two or three inches of natural snow. It doesn't look as bad. It's white. It looks like winter up there, but it took all of our base."
Cheney said snow-making is underway and it will take five or six days to reopen the hill. He hopes to be back in operation by next weekend.
"It's all relying on our snow-making plant and some cold weather right now," he said.
He said it takes cold temperatures along with low humidity for their machines to work.
Slow start
All ski hills across the province had to close. Both Poley Mountain and Mont Farlagne posted on Facebook that the hills would be closed while staff worked to make snow.
"When the weather cocktail is worse than all the punches given to you during the holidays, it's not fantastic. The mountain has a serious hangover!" read the post on the Mont Farlagne Facebook page.
The post went on to say the plan was to open on Dec. 29.
Sugarloaf Mountain is closed as well.
Manager Greg Dion said Boxing Day was a tough one for the hill.
"I was here getting wet and crying tears and watching the snow melt," he said.
Dion hopes parts of the hill will open on Monday, thanks to a light dusting of snow and snow-making machines.
It's been a slow start for ski hills in the province this year.
Most hills weren't able to open until mid-December. Crabbe Mountain and Sugarloaf Mountain both opened Dec. 19-24.
"It hasn't been a banner year by any means," said Dion.
Last year, Dion said the mountain was able to open at the end of November after already making snow for two weeks.
