With sunny days this fall, patience is a virtue for Central Oregon skiers.

Officials at Mt. Bachelor ski area announced over the weekend another delay for the ski area’s opening plans. The resort had been planning a Nov. 26 opening day, which it pushed to Dec. 3 earlier this month, but those plans are now on ice.

“At this point, we do not have a target date,” said Leigh Capozzi, a Mt. Bachelor spokesperson.

The reason is the same as before: Warm temperatures and low precipitation mean there’s just no snow.

But while snow levels haven’t yet been rising, anticipation has.

“People have been getting excited about snow season for months,” said Henry Abel, a salesperson at Bend’s Pine Mountain Sports.

Winter sales in the shop have been strong even as global supply chains face challenges, like a snowshoe manufacturer struggling to get aluminum during the pandemic and a fire at a European ski factory, according to Abel.

The slow start to winter weather isn’t too big a problem for the store, which also rents mountain bikes. Low precipitation has kept mountain bike trails in better condition than usual this time of year, and warm fall days have kept it comfortable to get out and ride later in the year, Abel said.

With ski season coming soon, Abel recommends planning ahead, as gear may be hard to restock with global shipping challenges.

“If you’re looking at a pair of skis or boots that fits you, I would get it now,” Abel said Monday.

The same is true across the street at Powder House Ski & Snowboard, which typically sees bottlenecks for tune-up services right as the mountain opens, according to owner Todd McGee.

He said “outstanding” winter sales so far are due in part to people shopping around less for fear of shipping delays.

“The attitude for people has been great,” McGee said. “Everybody’s very happy and excited.”

After over 20 years owning the store, he’s not too worried about a slow start.

“Sometimes there’s some hiccups with the weather, but I do believe it’ll be here,” McGee said. “Mt. Bachelor is in the same boat as we all are, we’re waiting for Mother Nature.”

Mother Nature’s plans, while hard to predict, are a mixed bag. The National Weather Service projects mostly sunny conditions at Mt. Bachelor through Friday, with dropping temperatures and a slight chance of snow over the weekend.

That’s good news for the resort.

“As temperatures get low enough, we will be able to start making snow,” said Capozzi, who said resort forecasters predict two storm systems dropping snow in early December.

Uphill travel at Mt. Bachelor remains open for the time being, and the resort’s retail stores and bar will be open to visitors over the weekend.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and complicated supply chains top of mind, Abel is willing to leave predictions to the weather experts.

“This has been a year or two of not being able to predict the future,” Abel said.

He is sure about one part of the start to ski season, though:

“For those of us who love to ski, it can never come soon enough.”