BILLINGS — So far, the fall in Montana has been out of the ordinary with above average temperature and hardly any snow.
The seasonably warm weather has started to make an impact on local businesses. Last week, Red Lodge Mountain announced that their opening day would be delayed to at least Dec. 5.
Watch this video to hear the impacts:
Ski Station manager Adam Paulson said their business can feel the changes when snowfall is limited.
"Our snow conditions right now are not looking great," Paulson said. "More snow means more people thinking about skiing and snowboard."
Paulson said their shop in Billings still does fine in retail, with many skiers and snowboarders wanting to gear up before the flakes fall, but that there is still a noticeable drop.
"We definitely see a big shift when we've got preseason snow and when we don't," Paulson said. "The snow really has an effect there where if people see the conditions, they're here."
For other businesses, like the Peter Yegen golf course, the warm weather serves as a bonus. Billings golfers like the Vennes family were taking full advantage of it this weekend.
"I mean you don't get opportunities like this very often, so you've got to take advantage of it," Justin Vennes said. "Usually, this time of year, you're not sure if there's going to be snow or it's going to be beautiful like it is today."
Many have one question in mind: Will the warm temperatures stick around?
"It's too early to worry about that because we still have four more months until the end of winter," Q2 Metereologist Jason Stiff said. "Pretty much everyone is below average in all of the mountains at all the snow tell sites."
Stiff said there's still time, and that his models show that this winter should wind up being full of snow.
“It’s taking longer to get the snow," Stiff said. "Again, with the rest of winter and this being the last month of autumn, we have some time to catch up.”
Exciting news for some Montanans, but maybe not for others.
"I'm not really the one who's the avid skier in our family," said Shannon Vennes with a laugh.
"She likes to sit in the lodge," Justin added. "Maybe sip some hot cocoa and read a book."
