FRANKLIN, Wis. — Temperatures in the 50s on Saturday didn't stop skiers and tubers from hitting the slopes, and businesses are benefiting.
Rowan Goff, a Milwaukee resident, has been going to Crystal Ridge in Franklin since he was 10.
"It was a Christmas gift from my parents. They got me lessons here, and I've just always come back," Goff said.
While he loves the atmosphere, he admitted the temperature felt slightly off on Saturday.
"It's a bit too warm for me," Goff joked, noting the high of 53 degrees. That's 20° above normal for late December.
For local ski hill operators, the warm weather has been a boost, especially during the holidays.
"It's warmer than usual for December, but people are loving it," Riley May, General Manager of Crystal Ridge, said. "The beginner snow is great, tubing has been busy all day, and it feels like spring out here."
Check out: Warm weather, great conditions: Friends and family enjoy slopes at Crystal Ridge
May also pointed out that this year's start is much better than last season, which saw difficult conditions.
"Last year was tough. We finished strong, but we had this kind of weather for three weeks straight," May said.
Last year, other winter sports venues like Sunburst Winter Sports Park in Kewaskum didn't have enough snow to keep the hills ready for boarders.
May said their business model doesn't rely too heavily on Mother Nature but instead 100% on their snow-making system — with the right humidity and temperature.
According to May, adding on cold temperatures and snow earlier in the month, Crystal Ridge now has a solid base that should withstand the current thaw.
Other nearby resorts, like Little Switzerland in Slinger, have also taken to social reporting excellent conditions.
Hundreds took advantage Saturday, skiing, snowboarding, and tubing down the slopes.
"It's amazing. I can't wait to go again and again and again," Lola Pace, a Milwaukee native, smiled.
For more information on ski hill conditions at Crystal Ridge, you can visit their website.
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