WINTERGREEN, Va. (WFXR) — Sunday was the final day for skiers to glide across the slopes at Wintergreen resort. Resort officials announced last week that this season’s final day of operation would come earlier than expected because of warmer temperatures.

Director of operations at Wintergreen, Zachary Marlowe, says mother nature didn’t cooperate this year.

“Looking at the forecast, just like a lot of other resorts in our region on the east coast, we decided to make that tough decision to close,” said Marlowe.

The snow at Wintergreen is manmade through a machine, but Marlowe says it has not been cold enough to sustain the snow and keep it frozen once it is on the ground.

“Every opportunity that we could, we had the systems going to make as much snow as we could in that time frame. It was just very small windows this year,” said Marlowe.

Chris Panning was one skier out on the mountain trying to soak in the last day of the season, making the best out of a less-than-ideal situation.

“Conditions aren’t the best — a little slushy, a lot of people doing the same thing, trying to use up the rest of their tickets and get that one last run in,” said Panning.

Panning adds that while he is sad about the early closure, he is not entirely surprised.

“I’m a little sad. It’s a little unexpected, but not totally surprising due to the weather,” said Panning.

From a business standpoint, Marlowe says the resort stays prepared in case of unpredictable events like this. He says they’ll utilize other attractions to keep the business up and running.

“We’ve got pickleball, we’ve got tennis courts, we’ve got a spa facility, indoor pool, workout facility, two golf courses. So the good news is, just because there’s no snow, there’s still a lot to do up on the mountain,” said Marlowe.

Wintergreen resort says they plan to welcome skiers back to the resort in December.