Officials at Mt. Bachelor are praying for snow. Two feet, to be exact.

If Mother Nature cooperates, the ski resort hopes to fire up its lifts on Nov. 23, said Drew Jackson, Mt. Bachelor’s director of sales and marketing.

Even with El Nino conditions predicted for the winter, Mt. Bachelor’s 9,000 feet of elevation make it a magnet for snow.

“We’re at such a high elevation, compared to other ski locations in Oregon, even if it’s a dryer than normal winter, we usually have better snow,” Jackson said.

Forecasters do believe weather conditions will be warmer and dryer than normal this winter, said Jim Smith, with the National Weather Service in Pendleton. This weekend’s forecast calls for only a slight chance of rain or snow, Smith said.

“It’s not looking good over the next several days,” he said

The extended weather forecast, which is less reliable, also doesn’t show much precipitation, Smith said.

Not all of Central Oregon’s weather watchers work for Mt. Bachelor. One who does not is Kevney Dugan, CEO of the tourism marketing agency Visit Bend.

“It is really important that we get early snow and ultimately early excitement as many people begin planning travel for the holidays and beyond around snow,” Dugan said. “Winter sports activities can help ensure that Bend stays top of mind as a winter destination for those who travel for winter recreation.”

Every time Visit Bend posts pictures of snowcapped mountains on its social media platforms, people respond, said Dugan.

Meanwhile, area ski businesses see a slight uptick in business as the weather begins to turn a little cooler. Business has picked up a bit at the Bend ski and snowboard manufacturer SnoPlanks plant on Empire Boulevard.

“We’ve definitely seen a spike in our sales over the last week or so, due to the holidays approaching and the snow this weekend,” said SnoPlanks founder James Nicol. “People’s mind turns to winter sports.”

In anticipation, Bend consignment store The Gear Fix LLC has switched over completely from summer sports to winter sports, said general manager Matt Deacon. But while a lot of equipment and winter gear has come through the door on consignment, Deacon said, customers have said they’re not convinced there will be enough snow this winter to offset the cost of buying it.

“There’s some apprehension from people because they don’t want to make the big ski purchase because of worry about snow levels,” Deacon said. “This year isn’t shaping up very well, and the extended forecast isn’t shaping up real well either. But we don’t really know.”

Chris Kostigan, Powder House Ski & Snowboard shop manager, said every year it’s the same: When it rains in Bend and snows on the mountains, people’s thoughts turn to the slopes.

“When it’s not snowing through the Christmas holidays, the ski slopes take it in the pants, and it hurts a lot of local businesses,” Kostigan said.

As for Mt. Bachelor, where a weather cam recently showed raindrops, Jackson reminds skiers that the opening date is tentative.

“Right now there’s about 3 inches on the ground, so there’s a long way to go,” Jackson said. “But all we need is 18 to 24 inches depending if it’s light and fluffy or dense and sticky.”

— Reporter: 541-633-2117, sroig@bendbulletin.com