WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Skiin' With Ian - Dec. 21, 2011

Ludlow, Vermont - December 21, 2011

With just four days now until Christmas, most of the Green Mountains are still green. That means for the snowmaking crews at the Okemo Mountain Resort, it's all hands on deck.

"If it's white, it's because snowmaking has been there. Mother Nature has not cooperated at all," said Ray Kennedy of Okemo.

Snowmakers need cold temperatures and little humidity. Those conditions have been at a premium so far this year, so the crew works around the clock waiting for their chance.

"We've got 10 temperature locations, weather locations on that mountain that give us the temperature and humidity and we are monitoring them constantly," Kennedy said.

Okemo has 1,100 snow guns in their arsenal. They can make snow on 600 acres or about 96 percent of the terrain. But the man-made snow does not come cheap.

"It's a huge cost," said Bonnie MacPherson of Okemo. "It's really expensive to make snow in general. The temperatures really depend; they have a big influence on how much it is going to cost us overall."

And with a holiday period now right on our doorstep, buying snow is a necessary expense.

"The holiday weekend is crucial for us from a business perspective. We have a lot of reservations. People plan their vacations around the holiday period, so we need to really ramp it up and have good snow," MacPherson said.

The man-made snow has provided plenty of coverage and reasonable conditions, especially during the morning. For now, it will hold the faithful over until the real stuff arrives.

"I'm sure they're praying for snow. If there's a snow dance, they're doing it," skier Roger Mayott said.

"It's all about the snow dances right now, whatever rituals you can do, throw it out there because we need all the help we can get!" skier Chuck Roberts said with a laugh.

The do-si-do of the snow.