Ski country is the hilly, snowy portions of the boundary between the Niagara Frontier and the Southern Tier of the western part of New York.
The area is a largely hilly terrain, mostly downwind from Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes, along the Eastern Continental Divide between the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River and Susquehanna River watersheds. The result of this is that through orographic lift, a significant amount of lake effect snow falls there during the months of November, December and January.
The portion of ski country in Western New York is defined by a geologic formation known as the Chautauqua Ridge.
As the name implies, the area is particularly popular with skiers, and there are several ski resorts that stretch from Pennsylvania into Central New York. The local ski resorts primarily offer alpine skiing while the numerous state parks use their hiking trails for cross-country skiing.
See also: List of ski areas and resorts
Pennsylvania
Mount Pleasant of Edinboro - in Edinboro, Pennsylvania installed first chair lift in 2014 (also offers snow tubing)
Ski Denton/Denton Hill - in Coudersport, Pennsylvania (slightly outside the general definition of ski country, no longer in operation)
New York
Big Basin Ski Area - in Red House, New York. Operated from 1951 until New York's ongoing eminent domain campaign forced most of Red House's private property to be vacated in 1972.
Bluemont Ski Area - Yorkshire, New York - closed in 1982
Bova Ski Resort - in Red House, New York. Bova (named after the Beauvais family, who donated the land) was the site of a Great Depression-era public works project as part of Allegany State Park that would serve as the area's first ski destination. The Bova resort also included the region's only ski jumps. The ski jumps were damaged by a mudslide in 1979, and outdated and malfunctioning equipment led to the area's shutdown in 1980.
Brantling Ski Slopes - in Sodus, New York
Bristol Mountain - in South Bristol, New York (also offers Nordic skiing)
Buffalo Ski Club - in Colden
Cockaigne Ski Resort - in Cherry Creek (town), New York (no longer in operation)
Dry Hill Ski Area - in Watertown, New York
Greek Peak - in Virgil, New York near the city of Cortland
Grosstal/Wing Hollow Ski Area - in Allegany, New York (closed in early 80's)
Holiday Valley - in Ellicottville (town), New York
Holimont - in Ellicottville (also offers Nordic skiing)
Poverty Hill/Concord Ski Club - in Ellicottville (closed 1991)
Kissing Bridge - in Glenwood, New York within the town of Colden
Labrador Mountain - in Truxton, New York
Mount Hermanns - in Olean, was the first commercial ski resort in the area and was established in the 1930s. It closed after several decades of operation due to competition from other, newer resorts in the area.
Peek'n Peak - in Clymer, New York
Snow Ridge Ski Resort - in Turin, New York
Swain Ski Resort - in Grove, New York
Toggenburg Mountain - in Fabius, New York
Art Roscoe Ski Area at Allegany State Park in Red House, New York
Keuka Lake State Park in Jerusalem, New York
Letchworth State Park in Livingston County, New York
Long Point State Park on Lake Chautauqua near Maple Springs, New York
