4. I noticed that the sea surface temperatures are warming toward South America, which may mean the El Nino is expanding eastward. It does not mean the El Nino is getting stronger, just that warm water is expanding for now. The implications of such warming may not be seen until late January or February.

Do you see a break in this lovely pattern? Do the long-term forecast models show a shift in the jet, or is this what El Nino has in store for us the rest of the way? Thanks.

this year could produce the long overdue shakeout in the northeast ski industry. I would say roughly 1/4 of the smaller areas will not survive.

This has been expected for some time given the continuing decline of the us ski industry and skier numbers as a whole.

A very perceptive posting: It will be interesting to see where or when this decline will stop (if ever.) It also leads to another question: In the next generation, without feeder hills to provide the people to ski at the "big boy" areas, what shape will skiing take or will it become an "off the beaten path activity" such as cliff diving in Acapulco.

Ski area's will have to provide additional year round activities to survive. More emphasis placed on Summer activities. ..

-Scott

Putting in such attractions is no guarantee of getting people to come to the mountains to do things they can do closer to home. ....
I would say the market is limited to the vacation home owners.