Local ski resorts playing the waiting game for colder weather
Trollhaugen Outdoor Recreation Area was open for a few days during the colder weather, but the resort is forced to waiting for colder weather to return to make more snow.
Courtesy of Trollhaugen Outdoor Recreation Area
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There are two types of Minnesotans. One that is itching for the snow to blanket the streets and sidewalks. And the other who will take any warm weather that comes our way in the winter.
If you’re the latter, the forecast is looking pretty nice for you, with above average temperatures.
It could even reach the 60s this week, and lows not even going below freezing in central and southern Minnesota. But the weather isn’t great news for ski and snowboard hills.
Marsha Hovey is the Marketing Director for Trollhaugen, a ski and snowboard resort right across the border in Dresser, Wis.
MPR News Guest Host Catharine Richert talked to her about the snow outlook for the season and what makes the best snow-making conditions.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING] CATHARINE RICHERT: This is Minnesota Now. I'm Catharine Richert, filling in for host Cathy Wurzer. There are two types of Minnesotans-- one that is itching for the snow to blanket the streets and sidewalks, and then there's the other, who will take any warm weather that comes our way this winter. If you're the latter, the forecast is looking pretty nice for you, with above average temperatures. It could even reach the 60s this week and lows not even going below freezing in Central and Southern Minnesota.
But the weather is not great news for skiers and snowboarders. Joining us now is Marsha Hovey. She is the marketing director for Trollhaugen, a ski and snowboard resort right across the border in Dresser, Wisconsin. Welcome, Marsha. Thanks for being with us.
MARSHA HOVEY: Thanks for having me.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So Trollhaugen opened for a little bit a couple of weeks ago, right?
MARSHA HOVEY: Yeah. We were actually open last weekend for four days.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So that's a short, [CHUCKLES] short period of time. What is the-- usually the opening date for you guys?
MARSHA HOVEY: Yes, it was short, but we made the most of it, for sure. We typically aim to open the first week of November as mother nature allows. Last year, we opened early October, 18 and 19, with the first chairlift in North America servicing skiers and snowboarders. This year, it looks to be a little different.
CATHARINE RICHERT: How many people do you think you had out there for that short four-day stint?
MARSHA HOVEY: Oh, it looks like we probably had a couple hundred people every day, and definitely Saturday was busy, busy, busy. It was amazing to see everyone back and smiling. The Midwest and Minnesota ski and snowboard enthusiasts will travel far and wide to get a taste of the snow.
CATHARINE RICHERT: I love downhill skiing. I've been doing it for most of my life. And I always look forward to that first run down the hill. It is always exhilarating. It never gets old. So how much snow do you need to really open?
MARSHA HOVEY: Great question. We rely on snowmaking very heavily in the Midwest. So to open, we always like to have one big downhill run, like you mentioned, to give everyone that taste that they desire so much. And then we also have a terrain park that we aim to open. Typically, you want a good solid base of at least 6 inches of snow so that those snowcats, when they're grooming, are not picking up any dirt and grass beneath their blades.
CATHARINE RICHERT: And do you have to keep making that snow throughout the year, or do you reach a tipping point where you're getting enough to offset having to make it?
MARSHA HOVEY: Yeah. So every year is really different. Typically, snowmaking will start the end of October, beginning of November. And as mother nature allows us to make snow, we will do so all the way until January or February if need be. Last season was some of the highest natural snowfall we've seen in a very long time. So it was a shortened snowmaking season, for sure.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So looking at the forecast, I'm seeing highs in the 60s, lots of sunshine. It is clearly not snowmaking conditions at least this week. So with that, when do you hope to be open for this year?
MARSHA HOVEY: I know. And I know a lot of people are very excited about those temperatures. [CHUCKLES] And we are sad.
CATHARINE RICHERT: It is lovely. It is lovely inside. [LAUGHS]
MARSHA HOVEY: I know. We want everyone to be happy. But, yeah, we are looking at that weather very closely. And realistically, snowmaking weather should return right around Thanksgiving. And with proper conditions, we can be open in a couple of days of snowmaking. We just have to factor in humidity and air temp and wind speed and water temperature. There's a lot that goes into the science. But hopefully, after Thanksgiving, we'll be back at it.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So you did talk a little bit about what last year's opener looked like. It was earlier than it was this this year. Generally speaking, as you're looking at predictions, what are you thinking this year will look like, and how does it compare to what you saw last year in terms of snow?
MARSHA HOVEY: Social media loves those Farmers' Almanac pictures. We all joke about it in the industry. There's so many images. Who knows where they come from? El Niño, La Niña. We really like to wait and see. We're seeing a lot of predictions that it will be a warmer winter. But we won't believe it yet. So hopefully, we'll get some cold weather enough to make a solid amount of snow and welcome people back to the sports that they love.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Our fall and our warmer weather is getting longer and longer. Has this made any impact on your operations?
MARSHA HOVEY: You know, that warmer trend is not something that we've seen affecting us yet. In the past 20 years, there's probably only been about two or three seasons where we weren't opened by Thanksgiving. And the trends nationally fluctuate as well. And hopefully, with the advancement of snowmaking technology that we continue to invest in, we'll just be able to work with the conditions that we have and really maximize the time that we get to make snow.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Now, you do have this adventure park with a ropes course and ziplining. Do you see the resort having to invest more in summer or warmer weather activities as our climate becomes warmer?
MARSHA HOVEY: We do have that adventure park that we really love. It's a great way to get people out enjoying this area in a way that they are not normally used to. You know the ski area has been here for 74 years. The adventure park, just about 10 years.
So we want to be able to provide outdoor activity to get people active and moving and enjoying the spaces that we have here. Hopefully, skiing and snowboarding won't be too greatly affected, and we'll do everything that we can to invest in infrastructure that really works well with the weather that we have.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So speaking of the future, and we are talking about snow right now, what can you say about the future of snowmaking technology? I mean, I feel like, when I go out, I see those huge-- I don't even know what to call them, but they look like big ladders almost out there on the slopes. And I feel like it's always looked that way. Are there any changes that are happening there coming down the line?
MARSHA HOVEY: Yes. Yeah. We work with a really wonderful company called TechnoAlpin that's based out of Italy. And the advancements that they've made in this technology over the years is really amazing. And we encourage people to come and ask us questions and look at the systems.
We just invested in a fully automated snowmaking system with TechnoAlpin for our newly expanded area. So that means that, on a computer, we can look at the map of our area. And based on the wind speeds, based on the temperature, and that wet bulb-- that wet bulb temperature is a mix of humidity and air temp-- we really get to work with the weather in a way that we've never been able to before because of this technology. It's really amazing. It helps us a lot.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Yeah. It sounds really fine-tuned. And I'm sure it allows you to be more efficient and maybe save some money too. You're not making snow you don't have to make because you can really tune into it. Now--
MARSHA HOVEY: Yeah, exactly.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Yeah. And I wanted to say, [CHUCKLES] you still had some snow on the ground pretty recently. Last month, we came down to see people on snow that was saved from last winter. I know our audience wants to know. Is that snow still around?
MARSHA HOVEY: It is mostly gone. There's maybe some little, tiny remnants of white snow from the 2022-2023 season, but it is mostly melted now. But, yeah, that is truly snow saved from the prior season in our snow science experiments. And we are not the only ones who do that. So it's catching on as a way to enjoy skiing and snowboarding outside of the normal winter months.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Well, given the forecast this week, you might want to hold on to it, bottle it up, cover it up, protect it for a little bit longer until those colder temperatures come around, and you can get people out on the slopes. That was Marsha Hovey. She is the marketing director for Trollhaugen Ski and Snowboard Resort in Dresser, Wisconsin. Thanks for being with us, Marsha.
MARSHA HOVEY: Thanks so much.
But the weather is not great news for skiers and snowboarders. Joining us now is Marsha Hovey. She is the marketing director for Trollhaugen, a ski and snowboard resort right across the border in Dresser, Wisconsin. Welcome, Marsha. Thanks for being with us.
MARSHA HOVEY: Thanks for having me.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So Trollhaugen opened for a little bit a couple of weeks ago, right?
MARSHA HOVEY: Yeah. We were actually open last weekend for four days.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So that's a short, [CHUCKLES] short period of time. What is the-- usually the opening date for you guys?
MARSHA HOVEY: Yes, it was short, but we made the most of it, for sure. We typically aim to open the first week of November as mother nature allows. Last year, we opened early October, 18 and 19, with the first chairlift in North America servicing skiers and snowboarders. This year, it looks to be a little different.
CATHARINE RICHERT: How many people do you think you had out there for that short four-day stint?
MARSHA HOVEY: Oh, it looks like we probably had a couple hundred people every day, and definitely Saturday was busy, busy, busy. It was amazing to see everyone back and smiling. The Midwest and Minnesota ski and snowboard enthusiasts will travel far and wide to get a taste of the snow.
CATHARINE RICHERT: I love downhill skiing. I've been doing it for most of my life. And I always look forward to that first run down the hill. It is always exhilarating. It never gets old. So how much snow do you need to really open?
MARSHA HOVEY: Great question. We rely on snowmaking very heavily in the Midwest. So to open, we always like to have one big downhill run, like you mentioned, to give everyone that taste that they desire so much. And then we also have a terrain park that we aim to open. Typically, you want a good solid base of at least 6 inches of snow so that those snowcats, when they're grooming, are not picking up any dirt and grass beneath their blades.
CATHARINE RICHERT: And do you have to keep making that snow throughout the year, or do you reach a tipping point where you're getting enough to offset having to make it?
MARSHA HOVEY: Yeah. So every year is really different. Typically, snowmaking will start the end of October, beginning of November. And as mother nature allows us to make snow, we will do so all the way until January or February if need be. Last season was some of the highest natural snowfall we've seen in a very long time. So it was a shortened snowmaking season, for sure.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So looking at the forecast, I'm seeing highs in the 60s, lots of sunshine. It is clearly not snowmaking conditions at least this week. So with that, when do you hope to be open for this year?
MARSHA HOVEY: I know. And I know a lot of people are very excited about those temperatures. [CHUCKLES] And we are sad.
CATHARINE RICHERT: It is lovely. It is lovely inside. [LAUGHS]
MARSHA HOVEY: I know. We want everyone to be happy. But, yeah, we are looking at that weather very closely. And realistically, snowmaking weather should return right around Thanksgiving. And with proper conditions, we can be open in a couple of days of snowmaking. We just have to factor in humidity and air temp and wind speed and water temperature. There's a lot that goes into the science. But hopefully, after Thanksgiving, we'll be back at it.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So you did talk a little bit about what last year's opener looked like. It was earlier than it was this this year. Generally speaking, as you're looking at predictions, what are you thinking this year will look like, and how does it compare to what you saw last year in terms of snow?
MARSHA HOVEY: Social media loves those Farmers' Almanac pictures. We all joke about it in the industry. There's so many images. Who knows where they come from? El Niño, La Niña. We really like to wait and see. We're seeing a lot of predictions that it will be a warmer winter. But we won't believe it yet. So hopefully, we'll get some cold weather enough to make a solid amount of snow and welcome people back to the sports that they love.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Our fall and our warmer weather is getting longer and longer. Has this made any impact on your operations?
MARSHA HOVEY: You know, that warmer trend is not something that we've seen affecting us yet. In the past 20 years, there's probably only been about two or three seasons where we weren't opened by Thanksgiving. And the trends nationally fluctuate as well. And hopefully, with the advancement of snowmaking technology that we continue to invest in, we'll just be able to work with the conditions that we have and really maximize the time that we get to make snow.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Now, you do have this adventure park with a ropes course and ziplining. Do you see the resort having to invest more in summer or warmer weather activities as our climate becomes warmer?
MARSHA HOVEY: We do have that adventure park that we really love. It's a great way to get people out enjoying this area in a way that they are not normally used to. You know the ski area has been here for 74 years. The adventure park, just about 10 years.
So we want to be able to provide outdoor activity to get people active and moving and enjoying the spaces that we have here. Hopefully, skiing and snowboarding won't be too greatly affected, and we'll do everything that we can to invest in infrastructure that really works well with the weather that we have.
CATHARINE RICHERT: So speaking of the future, and we are talking about snow right now, what can you say about the future of snowmaking technology? I mean, I feel like, when I go out, I see those huge-- I don't even know what to call them, but they look like big ladders almost out there on the slopes. And I feel like it's always looked that way. Are there any changes that are happening there coming down the line?
MARSHA HOVEY: Yes. Yeah. We work with a really wonderful company called TechnoAlpin that's based out of Italy. And the advancements that they've made in this technology over the years is really amazing. And we encourage people to come and ask us questions and look at the systems.
We just invested in a fully automated snowmaking system with TechnoAlpin for our newly expanded area. So that means that, on a computer, we can look at the map of our area. And based on the wind speeds, based on the temperature, and that wet bulb-- that wet bulb temperature is a mix of humidity and air temp-- we really get to work with the weather in a way that we've never been able to before because of this technology. It's really amazing. It helps us a lot.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Yeah. It sounds really fine-tuned. And I'm sure it allows you to be more efficient and maybe save some money too. You're not making snow you don't have to make because you can really tune into it. Now--
MARSHA HOVEY: Yeah, exactly.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Yeah. And I wanted to say, [CHUCKLES] you still had some snow on the ground pretty recently. Last month, we came down to see people on snow that was saved from last winter. I know our audience wants to know. Is that snow still around?
MARSHA HOVEY: It is mostly gone. There's maybe some little, tiny remnants of white snow from the 2022-2023 season, but it is mostly melted now. But, yeah, that is truly snow saved from the prior season in our snow science experiments. And we are not the only ones who do that. So it's catching on as a way to enjoy skiing and snowboarding outside of the normal winter months.
CATHARINE RICHERT: Well, given the forecast this week, you might want to hold on to it, bottle it up, cover it up, protect it for a little bit longer until those colder temperatures come around, and you can get people out on the slopes. That was Marsha Hovey. She is the marketing director for Trollhaugen Ski and Snowboard Resort in Dresser, Wisconsin. Thanks for being with us, Marsha.
MARSHA HOVEY: Thanks so much.
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