Snow machines have been busy at Willard Mountain in Easton, Washington County. They’ve been waiting for this weather switch for a while.

“This has been an exceptionally on-again, off-again winter. We make snow, like you say, we started making in mid-November, we’d make it, we’d lose it,” said owner Chic Wilson. “We’d get two and a half inches of rain at one storm we had, so it’s been a fight.”

They should have been operational for three weeks by now.

Preseason sales were very strong, and they’re anxious to get this winter started.

They’re usually up and running mid-December. They are now planning to open this weekend.

“And that’ll be the first time for this year. We did not operate at all during Christmas vacation, so this will be the start for our season,” said Wilson.

The colder temperatures help them make and keep snow. They’re concentrating on green and blue trails, so lessons can get up and running.

Thousands of children have learned how to ski in programs at Willard, which is billed as New York’s coolest little ski area.

They plan to have two learning centers and one or two lifts open this weekend.

They’d love to see Mother Nature offer up some natural snow then, too.

“As soon as we get at least half of the ski area up and running, then we’ll add our tubing park in, and a lot of people look forward to tubing.”

A lot of skiers and snowboarders are waiting and Wilson expects Willard will be open this weekend, he said.