Lack of cold and snow means empty ski hills, outdoor rinks in Sask.

It's not unheard of for Mission Ridge Winter Park — located about 75 kilometres east of Regina — to open in mid December.

But the park's business manager, Anders Svenson, says this has been one of the more challenging years to make snow.

"It's less about getting snow and more about getting the temperatures," said Svenson.

Ideal snow making conditions, he says, usually require temperatures below -10 C. It takes about 400 hours of those conditions to get the park fully covered.

So far, Svenson said, only about 100 hours have been completed.

That means Mission Ridge will only partially open Saturday. Other runs will be open once enough snow is made.

Svenson estimates between 10 and 15 million gallons of water have been used for the resort's 20 snow guns, which take pressurized water to create snow.

Lawrence Blouin, general manager of Table Mountain Regional Park near North Battleford, said he's facing similar conditions.

The park hasn't been able to open yet.

"We usually try to open for the first Saturday in December," said Blouin. "We're hoping to open before Christmas."

He echoed that temperatures below -10 C during the day are best for making snow. That has yet to happen this fall at the park.

It isn't the first time Blouin has dealt with a late start to the season. He recalls similar December warmth in 2008 and 2009.

Optimist Hill in Saskatoon has now fully opened, after a partial opening earlier this month.

General manager Maxine Tebbe said she also recalls similar late starts in 2016 and 2018.