Weather that has been kind to golfers hasn’t been so good for winter sports enthusiasts.
The unseasonably warm temperatures and a lack of snow in southern and central Maine are hindering the start to winter recreation and outdoor-oriented commerce.
High temperatures in the region have remained 10 degrees above the seasonal norm, ranging in the low to mid-40s, Jason Arnott, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said Monday. Additionally there has been no measurable snowfall in the area, putting this winter in a tie for seventh place with December 2000 for the latest measurable snowfall.
The ski touring center at Pineland Farms remains closed and the Quarry Road Recreation Area had to cancel a cross-country ski race set for Sunday, though organizers say skiers can try out their limited man-made snow.
Titcomb Mountain in Farmington advertised it would open Saturday, but manager Megan Roberts said Monday that date is expected to be pushed back to around Dec. 22 or Dec. 23, depending on when temperatures get cold enough to make snow.
“Our ideal temperature (to make snow) is 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, but this weekend we’ll go for any temperature,” Roberts said. Everyone may have to wait longer. Arnott said “there is no real sign that this mild pattern is going to change through at least the end of the month.”
The warm temperatures have not yet had an effect on the state’s snowmobile industry, Bob Meyers, executive director of the Maine Snowmobile Association, said. Typically, the association tells snowmobilers they’ll be able to ride around New Year’s Day.
“This is nowhere near panic time yet,” Meyers said. “But I think people are starting to get a little anxious.”
What riders are concerned about at this time is ground freeze, he said. While the temps have been pleasant for preseason maintenance and grooming the state’s 14,000 miles of trails, if the ground does not freeze before Jan. 1, trail conditions might be thrown off all winter.
“If we don’t have a freeze before the snow comes, we have a mess of a winter,” said Meyers, noting that the snowmobile industry provides a $300 million-a-year boost to Maine’s economy
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