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Fickle weather forces MI ski resorts to adapt

Snow making machine at ski area
Chochtopf
/
Pixabay

Temperatures are forecast to reach the 50’s in much of Michigan over the next week.

Skiers and snow boarders might be excused for not planning an outing.

Dan Coles has studied the snow ski industry at Michigan State University.                     

“We’re seeing less regular winter patterns in our weather," he says.  "It makes it more difficult to rely on.”

He says more Michigan operators today deliberately offer more than skiing.

“You know, you can visit the spa," he says.  "You can visit some of their other attractions.”

Like shopping and live entertainment.

Coles and others also say Michigan ski operators survive warm spells by making deep machine-made snow when the weather is cold.

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