P-J file photos

CHERRY CREEK — Noting a mild winter with “significantly less” snowfall than in past years, Cockaigne Resort announced this week it was closing its resort for the remainder of the season.

“In stating the obvious, this has been a very challenging season,” the ski resort said in a statement posted to Facebook this week.

Cockaigne said the town of Cherry Creek, where the resort is located, has received about 35 to 37 inches of snow to date this winter.

“This is significantly less than average for us,” Cockaigne said. “We have only had a few periods where the temps afforded us marginal opportunities to make snow and we made as much as our snow making system would produce.”

Cockaigne opened its ski lifts on Jan. 28, more than a month later than anticipated due to the lack of necessary snow and consistent colder temperatures. Nonetheless, Brandon Odell, resort general manager, told The Post-Journal earlier this month he was excited for Cockaigne to open its slopes and provide patrons a place to ski in addition to its food and beverage services.

Even then, Odell said a successful season would depend on the weather.

“It’s always about Mother Nature,” he said. “It was a rough start — even the Farmer’s Almanac had it wrong that said there’d be a lot of snow. We’re still getting hit, but it’s followed by a heat wave and then rain.”

The resort experienced a lot of rain, hampering the opening of its slopes without the ability to produce enough man-made snow. More rain and above-normal temperatures further complicated operations.

“We at Cockaigne are as unhappy with both the conditions and the slopes as much as our guests,” the resort said in its statement. “However, it is very difficult to do much with Mother Nature, and we are a resort that relies heavily on natural snowfall.