SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – It’s the heart of winter in Central New York, which means it’s ski season, right? Well, not exactly. Syracuse has just 28 inches of snow this season, which is 60 inches behind normal.
“It has a huge impact on the ski resorts and the recreation,” said Jake Chalupsky, a meteorologist with the Binghamton branch of the National Weather Service. “Not just not downhill, but cross-country skiing. Definitely the snowmobile clubs. They put those signs out in December. I’ve seen tracks two times this year.”
The lack of snow translates to local ski shops, but it might just be the new normal.
“This year has been a challenge,” said Jim Longo, the manager of Ski Company in East Syracuse. “We adjust to what we need to do to get by with everything. We’re not ordering as much inventory.”
Longo is also the head coach of Colgate’s ski team. He credits the snowmaking at ski resorts for allowing skiers to still hit the slopes, especially in years like this.
“I’m hoping that this isn’t going to be the trend, but the last few years have been not as much snow as we might normally get,” says Longo. “Every year that we go through this, the ski areas that get that much better with their snowmaking and grooming, that becomes a must.”
Even if it’s artificial snow, there’s still skiing to be had.
“We’ve been at this for a long time and these seasons have been up and down,” said Longo. “This isn’t anything new. Sometimes you go through some decent run and then there’s a couple hiccups here and there. And this is definitely one of those years. So again, we’ve learned as well with the climate and the weather. We adjust to the way we operate year to year so that we can still be here.”
Shortened seasons and less snow might just be the new normal in years ahead.
