Snow melts at Rosamond Gifford Zoo
/ Tom Eschen
SYRACUSE -- The forecasted warm Central New York weekend started as a wet one on Friday, as rain poured throughout the region during the day.
With temperatures forecasted to be in the mid 50's Saturday and Sunday, for the first time in months, Central New Yorkers will be looking to spend some time outside. Usually a foreign concept in the month of January, locals say they are surprised by the warm forecast.
"It's very unexpected," David Maisonet, who was at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo on Friday, says. "It melts the snow to get around easier at least."
As he watched his one-year-old son Gabriel follow birds around in the zoo aviary, Gabriel's mother Rachel Smith commented on how they were thinking of going back to the zoo on Sunday, and exploring more of the outside area in the nice weather.
"We'll go back on Sunday," Smith says. "Because it's so discounted this time of year."
During the months of January and February, the zoo offers discounted prices as a part of "Snow Leopard Days," which reduces admission prices by more than half. This weekend, zoo guests will be able to enjoy springtime conditions at a wintertime price.
While this weekend's forecast might be optimistic for places like the zoo, ski resorts are a different story...or are they? Due to the pouring rain, Four Seasons in Fayetteville closed their snow tubing section Friday night, and had two group sessions rescheduled. They say though, because their snow is man made, they will continue to have snow throughout the weekend, even with the temperatures in mind.
"When people call we tell them that, ya know, we're operating, because we've got our man made snow down now, and that's a lot more durable than natural snow," Bill Hane, Four Seasons Operations Manager, says.
So, winter enthusiasts can still enjoy the slopes this weekend, even if the air feels more like Spring. At the same time, most of the natural snow will be melted at the zoo, giving people the opportunity to enjoy the animals outside activity as well.
