PENINSULA, Ohio — As the end of the month draws near, it’s turning into one of the warmest Februarys Ohio has experienced in a long time. The average high temperature in some Ohio cities has been more than 10 degrees higher than the normal average for the month.
For the first time ever, Columbus and Dayton have seen temperatures soar into the the 70s on three different days during the month, and some cities haven’t seen any measurable snow fall. It’s all made it a very tough season for snow resorts across the state.
Boston Mills, a ski resort in Peninsula, Ohio, has seen fewer people coming to the slopes. Jake Campbell, the resort’s general manager, explained the difficulties.
“Quite a rollercoaster of a season, 60 degrees almost every week, some rain. We do our best to make it turn to winter at these resorts,” he said.
Campbell said that the warmer weather hasn’t stopped them from keeping the slopes open.
“If you don’t have snow in your backyard, we have plenty of it here. We typically rely on Mother Nature, but it hasn’t quite given us what we like,” he said.
Boston Mills has made its own snow so that the resort can stay open. Campbell explained some of the variables that are required for making it work.
“When it’s 32 degrees, you can make snow, but there’s a lot more that goes into it. We use the wet bulb, which a combination of the air temperature and the humidity,” he said.
Campbell and the team at Boston Mills put in the work so that people can enjoy the slopes.
“So we’re really just trying to drive awareness that we are still open even though you don’t have that snow in your backyard,” he said.
Boston Mills is supposed to close in mid-March.
