PORTAGE, Wis. — Wisconsin’s unseasonably warm Christmastime weather is not ideal for people who love winter sports or businesses that rely on snow.

Cascade Mountain in Portage, Wis., is likely one of the only places in the state you’ll find a white Christmas, and the snow isn’t even real.

“Anytime that you see that temperatures are around that 27-degree range, you can pretty much bet that we’re going to be making snow in full force,” said Evan Walz, Cascade Mountain’s Operations Manager. “There are parts on the hill that have upwards of eight to 10 feet of snow, believe it or not. It all depends on what kind of holes we’re filling out there.”

Walz and his team have been putting extra work to make sure people still have a chance to ski over Christmas break. Skiers such as Noah Klossing said they appreciate it.

“This’ll be my first time out here this year, but I’ve been coming here since sixth grade,” he said.

Most of the trails at Cascade Mountain are open, but the warm weather has kept their business hours limited, which ultimately affects profits.

“The schedule to start the season is we’re usually open for a couple of weekends and then closed during the weeks,” Walz said. “This year I would say we’re probably a week behind when we would have been opening on weekdays.”

But Walz said they plan well in advance for this, and always hope the end of the season makes up for a slow start.

“When we start our snowmaking efforts in the fall, we are under the assumption that Mother Nature’s not going to do us many favors,” Walz said. “So, we take every window for all that it’s worth and make as much snow as we can.”

Klossing, who drove up from Illinois, said he thinks there are actually some perks to Wisconsin’s delayed winter weather.

“It’s nice because my hands aren’t cold; my feet aren’t cold. My face isn’t cold,” he said. “When the snow melts a little bit, it’s easier to catch an edge or fall.”

Cascade Mountain is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Christmas Eve and closed Christmas Day.