COLD LAKE - With the arrival of winter and a festive aura in the air, a noticeable absence of snowfall has cast a shadow over Kinosoo Ridge Snow Resort, located near Cold Lake. Celebrated for its scenic beauty, the ski hill finds itself without the usual blanket of snow as the opening weekend for the ski hill has now come and gone.
Typically thriving with snow-centric activities like skiing, snowboarding, and sledding, the Cold Lake Kinosoo Ridge area is experiencing limitations this year due to the scarcity of snow. This shortfall has halted the resort’s full-scale operations, impacting the range of experiences available to eager visitors.
However, this challenging absence of snowfall has sparked a spirit of innovation and adaptation within the Kinosoo Ridge team.
Despite the adverse weather patterns, Juanita Friesen, a clerk at Kinosoo Ridge, reflected on the hurdles faced with having to produce more snow due to the scarcity of natural snow to use.
“In November, with all the warm spells, we couldn’t make snow, it was too warm. Sometimes, we could only make it a night. Sometimes, we couldn’t make it at all. With the lake, we have lots of humidity, so that’s also a factor.”
Despite these obstacles, staff at Kinosoo Ridge are diligently working to overcome these hurdles, striving to preserve the ridge’s allure and ensure visitors can still relish the traditional activities and charm it offers.
While a few slopes await natural snow coverage and remain closed, the majority of the resort’s attractions are operational. “The blue chair, the middle runs, the bunny hill, critters, and our tube park are all accessible,” Friesen shared.
The lack of snow hasn’t deterred visitors from wanting to enjoy the winter festivities.
“We had more people last weekend (Dec. 2 and 3) than we did opening weekend last year. Last year was the opposite. Last year was –30C,” said Friesen.
The rare lack of snow is being felt at other places across the province. Sunridge Ski Resort in Sherwood Park, just outside of Edmonton, has faced setbacks due to inadequate snowfall, causing a delayed opening and operating at a reduced capacity.
Allie Ferdinand, a ski instructor at Sunridge, expressed her feelings over the snow scarcity. “We were disappointed when we realized there was going to be a lack of snow. We actually made a lot of snow just for a good amount of it to melt away because of how warm it had gotten. It definitely has been a challenging time, but it will get better.”
Environment Canada’s forecast indicates that the El Niño phenomenon, known for reduced precipitation, might result in more freezing rain than snow this winter. This prediction poses a substantial challenge for ski resorts, signaling a potential decrease in snow availability, further increasing the ongoing concerns for the 2023-24 season at ski hills across the province.
The last time Alberta experienced a dry winter was in 2015 and 2016 where there were similar warm temperatures recorded, especially across the prairies.
