It was Christmas week 2015 and Mother Nature had been particularly cruel. Most ski areas had scant coverage and the weather forecast didn’t fare well for snowmaking.

The ski industry reacted with hope, chutzpah and humor – the now infamous “Ski the Patch” video from the folks at Mad River Glen stands as laugh-out-loud reminder of how we fought through those too-balmy days.

Here we are again. After what was shaping up to be a near record-breaking early season, the rain didn’t just fall, it fire-hosed – destroying much of that lovely white snow leaving us all, well, a little concerned.

But there’s good in all this – there is! And as an industry of, as one resort exec once said to me “optimists and beer enthusiasts – oft at the same time,” we’re out there looking for trails to ski, finding reasons to still get out there and of course, constantly clicking on the 14-day forecast looking for cold snaps.

The first good comes from the resorts themselves. While snow and cold may be lacking, honesty is at an all-time high. In the crosswinds of heavy rain that caused crazy flooding, temperature spikes that even brought pack melt and thawing to frosty Mount Washington (home of the world’s coldest temp record), resorts and areas have for the most part chosen to be transparent about how things are now.

That may be partly from the fact that skiers post photos on social media that tell the true tale. Optimists like me choose to think they’re doing it for the right reasons. No matter: it helps.

Jackson XC (https://www.jacksonxc.org/) shared heartbreaking yet hopeful shots on social media first of a snow plow pushing through deep water where ski trails usually are, and then an overview showing the learning loop they’d been able to recreate hours after that flooding subsided.

Other alpine areas did the same – Okemo Mountain Resort stands out here – honestly assessing the surface, trail count and just how skiing and riding is right now.

Skiers are here for it.

“I have to say, when I read the updates talking so honestly about how things are right now, it gives me confidence in them when – some time soon I hope – they tell me things are great,” Lisa Jackson, a Boston based skier, said. “And it gives ‘we’re in this together,’ which is nice.”

The next good comes from this simple notion: While one may assume the ski season is on pause until more cold comes, it’s very much active. And while it may not be a find your pow in the woods kind of active, knowing how to best use tougher snow times can pay off.

Top of the list of to-do suggestions in times of minimal snow? Lessons. Be you a newbie or long-timer, lessons make sense in these conditions for so many reasons. First, you don’t need an entire mountain of pristine trails to get pure gold out of a lesson. A good instructor can work with any level skier or rider in a pretty small space and amp up their skills.

And first-timers? Warmer weather means softer snow, more forgiving in so many ways.

The softer snow, said Okemo’s Director of Skier Services Steve Clark makes “a nice time to learn to ski or snowboard. With the moderate temps, it makes for a comfortable experience for first-timers.”

More advanced skiers can take advantage of less than perfect conditions to better themselves at skiing in all conditions. Think about it: on a nice ski day, you look down a trail that seems a bit icy, rocky or otherwise rough. A lesson now can help you build confidence on those surfaces, opening up more of the mountain to you all the time going forward.

“Intermediate and advanced guests will benefit from learning to adjust their skiing/riding styles in all types of conditions,” Clark said.

It’s also a good time to try something new. The 1K (they’re calling it the “Fun One,”  loop currently open at Jackson XC is perfect for a first time Nordic lesson, said Executive Director Ellen Chandler.

“There is a little bit of everything in terms of terrain, so the instructors can pick the right terrain for the session,” Chandler said. Plus, she added, crowds are thin, meaning you’ll have plenty of space to learn the sport.

That lack of crowds crosses over to alpine as well. Folks tend to look in their backyards to make ski or not decisions; many are opting to wait it out until better times. That means that while there may be a lower trail count, you’ll have more space and less time in lift lines, which can add up to plenty of vertical (as well as a good seat in front of the Apres band).

While we wait for Mother Nature to get back to the business of winter, your best bet is simple: Brave the so-so conditions, get out there and find your fun. It’s there, even if it temporarily looks a little different.