Plattsburgh, NY Beartown Ski Area Closing For The Season - Press Republican

[hatrack]

PLATTSBURGH — The lack of snow so far this winter is affecting many local businesses, but none as much as Beartown Ski Area. The not-for-profit ski area's board of directors decided Tuesday night it would not open this season.

Board of Directors President Tim Howley said it was mostly a business decision for the good of the long-term future of Beartown. Fixed costs such as insurance and taxes combined with those for the uel and electricity needed to make snow continue to grow, while revenue from tickets, lessons, passes and the snack bar decrease when the area can't operate.

"We really can't afford to accumulate more debt created by opening this year in respect to the future operation of Beartown," he said.

The board had discussed not opening six weeks ago, but wanted to try. The decision makes more sense now, Howley said, as the area lost all of its holiday business and has no potential opening day in sight. Beartown expects 45 to 55 days of skiing each season, but only had 28 days last year. With one-third of this season already gone, trying to open this year would probably only increase Beartown's debt load.

EDIT

http://www.pressrepublican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/NEWS/701140325/1001&ts=ts3

[MADem]

1. Take the old ball and go home, eh? Will they revisit the concept if

they get fifteen feet in Feb, Mar, and Apr????

[PATRICK]

2. Halfway through January

and not an inch of snow on any day. Never a need to shovel. I've seen one or two no snow Decembers, but never as warm and not continuing. The one measure is when people put Xmas lights up and never get to see them framed in snow before they come down. The lights have been down some time now. These effects are not extreme compared to other regions but taken together with everything else(as never happened in other spells locally) they are making a hit.

Forget winter sports on our small hills. The watershed nourished by ice and snow does not have any yet.
At all. Even without a summer drought lakes and streams will shrink. I wonder if the councils realize they will have more problems than putting a brave front on the tourist industry? Or long term about accommodating immigrants from less fortunate regions.

[KatyaR]

3. I can't imagine upstate NY without snow this time of year--

makes you wonder what spring and sumer will be like. It would break my heart to see something happen to that area--it's one of my favorites.

[PATRICK]

4. If it gets

warm enough for that we could be like the mid-Southern states now are. Not a disastrous state of affairs compared to others.

[lostnotforgotten]

6. Syracuse NY - One Good Snow Last Week - All Gone Now - Only Rain

eom

[madrchsod]

5. only a few winter weather business

are open across the upper midwest.this week the snow machines will be working again because the midwest will be enjoying one of the few weeks when the temps will be no higher than the mid 30`s.

[donsu]

7. more people being made newly poor by global warming

(job losses)

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. Sometimes that happens when you base business on Mother Nature

Same happens with beach resort areas and places where the weather makes or breaks it.

You have good years and bad years.

If you can't survive those risks, find something more controllable to hang your business hat on.

[MindPilot]

9. Meanwhile on the other coast, record cold temps overnight & snow flurries.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070114-9999-1m14weather.html

Global warming my ass!

(Yeah I know global climate change; but I moved here to ESCAPE the cold!)

[kestrel91316]

10. My sister in Milwaukee WI tells me they are warmer there than

we have been here in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles) the last couple of days.

Nothing wrong here at all. Nope.

[NNadir]

11. We had a similar public resort near here some years ago.

It closed, because it had started to lose money big time.

I very much doubt it could have opened even one day this year, even with snow making equipment.

It is supposed to be seasonably cold here for the first time this winter later in the week.