Prince George, B.C. – The unseasonably warm temperatures may be great for those looking to escape the traditionally frigid Prince George winters but it’s less than ideal for local ski hills.

The warm weather meant a challenging start to the season for Purden Ski Village, Tabor Mountain and the Hart Ski Hill.

It’s also closed the Hart Ski Hill this weekend due to the rain.

“It’s very frustrating,” said the person answering the phone at the Hart Ski Hill this afternoon before declining to say anything more.

Meanwhile Purden Ski Village and Tabor Mountain Ski Resort are both open this weekend.

“It’s good, it’s white, and we’re skiing on it,” was the only response Tabor felt like offering up today, while Purden has only had 6 cm of snow the past week.

The challenging conditions are not a surprise considering the Pineapple Express that’s been pushing its way all the way through the interior into Prince George this week.

And there doesn’t seem to be an immediate end in sight as Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Coldwells told 250News this weekend that “we’re sort of in a very weak to negligible El Nino situation and when you compare that to other winters El Nino has made things warmer.”