Jay Braman Jr. is reporting in the Daily Freeman it appears unlikely the slopes at the Belleayre (BELL-air) Mountain Ski Center will be open this weekend. Belleayre is owned by the state and located in Shandaken, Ulster County. The resort has often offered skiing right after Thanksgiving, but Tom Tar, the site’s superintendent, said that will not happen this year. Tar said, “We’re hoping for a strong opening the next weekend." From the top of the mountain to the lower lodge at Belleayre, the ground is covered with machine-made snow, but Tar said it’s not enough to support skiing. The resort intends to stockpile man-made snow to reduce melting over the holiday weekend. Tar hopes this will make for a good foundation to build on next week amid expected colder air. Both Windham Mountain and Catamount in Hillsdale are making snow, but have not announced an opening date as yet. Gov. Andrew Cuomo Wed., Nov. 25, announced that Whiteface Mountain would open Thursday, and Gore Mountain on Friday. Skiing at the state's 51 mountains generates $1 billion for the state economy. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.