An old Wendy’s commercial used to ask, “where’s the beef?” Area resorts are now asking themselves “where’s the snow?” The snow has been rapidly melting the past week, and each day yields more fatalities as area resorts suspend the lifts until more snow can be made.

Earlier this week, Ski Liberty and Whitetail shut their doors. Ski Roundtop has also closed, along with some Pennsylvania resorts such as Blue Knob. Seven Springs, Wisp, and Snowshoe are still riding it out. Some Virginia resorts, such as Massanutten, Bryce, and Wintergreen are also trying to cling on, although John, a DCSki reader from Silver Spring, predicts that won’t last long with flash floods forecast today for the Blue Ridge.

The Indian summer has even affected our neighbors in New England, who normally don’t suffer the effects of the Mid-Atlantic “banana belt.” John reports that Vermont’s Jay Peak and Maine’s Sunday River received precipitation on Wednesday that couldn’t be described as “mixed” by even the most aggressive ski resort spin doctors.

Relief is in site: colder temperatures are in the forecast for this weekend and should allow area resorts to fire up the snowguns. (Assuming they remember how: this week has surely gone by very slowly for area resorts.)