By BRUCE EDWARDS Herald Staff

With the Thanksgiving holiday a week away, it's shaping up as a less than auspicious start to the 2006-07 ski season.

The lack of snow coupled with rain and warmer-than-normal temperatures have forced even the largest ski areas in the state to delay their scheduled openings. As of Tuesday, no ski areas in the state were open.

"It's a very difficult start to the season for sure," said Parker Riehle, president of the Vermont Ski Areas Association, whose organization represents 19 downhill ski areas and 30 cross-country areas.

Riehle said Tuesday that more significant than the lack of natural snow is that the warmer than normal temperatures have prevented ski areas from making snow.

Killington Resort, the largest ski area in the East, often opens by mid to late October. Last year, Killington opened for two days at the end of October before shutting down and reopening Nov. 19.

This season, Killington was scheduled to open last weekend but that didn't happen because of the unfavorable weather conditions that prevented snowmaking, Killington spokesman Tom Horrocks said Tuesday.

"It's one of those things where you wait and hope Mother Nature throws you some favorable conditions, and unfortunately we're all in the same boat right now," Horrocks said.

With colder temperatures expected this weekend, he said Killington is shooting to open by Thanksgiving, which would make it the latest opening day in the past 20 years.

Killington's most optimistic forecast is to have 20 of its 200 trails open (for mostly intermediate and advanced skiers) by Thanksgiving with the K-1 gondola and the North Ridge triple lift up and running.

Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow was also forced to delay its opening until next week.

"We had hoped to be open this weekend, but that's not going to happen," Okemo spokeswoman Bonnie MacPherson said.

Like Killington, Okemo has made snow this fall when temperatures permitted.

"We have some snow stockpiled at the upper part of the mountain and we just need a couple of days of cold temperatures to supplement that and get things open," MacPherson said.

She said Okemo's goal is to have two or three of its 117 trails open by Thanksgiving. Last year, Okemo opened the Friday before Thanksgiving.

Killington's Horrocks said that while 32 degrees is the freezing point for making snow, humidity is a critical factor as well. To make snow at 32 degrees requires a humidity index of 60 percent or less, he said. Preferably, he said, temperatures should be in the 20s with humidity at 50 percent or less. With that combination, Horrocks said ski areas can "make pretty good snow."

According to the National Weather Service in Burlington, snowfall this month is 2.3 inches below normal.

Staff meteorologist Maureen Breitbach said temperatures will remain in the 50s and lower 60s with rain until Friday when colder temperatures are forecast. She said temperatures over the weekend will range from highs in the lower 40s during the day to the lower 30s at night. The colder temperatures will be accompanied by a continued chance of rain or snow showers into Monday.

Breitbach said the best chance for snow is an area north of Montpelier. She said Monday's daytime temperatures are expected to be in the upper 30s.

With El Nino conditions of warm air from the Pacific in the forecast, she said this part of the country is likely to experience a warmer than normal winter with average precipitation. Breitbach added that precipitation could be in the form of either rain or snow.

While Thanksgiving is not regarded as a major ski holiday, it is a "bonus" for ski areas that can open, said Riehle of the Vermont Ski Areas Association.

Last season, Vermont recorded 4.1 million skier visits, a 6 percent drop from the 2004-05 season.

The economic impact of the ski industry in the state is estimated at $1.4 billion a year and includes direct and indirect spending.

Contact Bruce Edwards at bruce.edwards@rutlandherald.com.