Snow has been scarce in the Northeast so far this season, and the mild weather has had a mixed effect on local stores specializing in the sale of winter sporting gear.

"There's been a little bit of a slowdown," said Kevin Murphy, a store manager of Ski Market in Warwick, R.I.

Customers are still buying skis, boots and related equipment, Murphy said, but rental sales are down because fewer people are heading out on organized trips.

That downturn is a result of warmer weather, which may in turn portend a warmer winter.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects December, January and February will be about 2 percent warmer than the 30-year average. The agency cites both the oscillation of the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific, aka El Nino, as well as long-term climate trends.

"The prediction for a warmer than normal winter season does not mean we won't have winter weather," said Mike Halpert, lead seasonal forecaster at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center. "What it does mean is that on average this will be a milder than average winter across much of the North, with fewer arctic air outbreaks."

But Murphy is convinced enough "winter weather" will come along to buoy skiers.

"It's going to come," he said.

Meanwhile, Bob Ryan, of Ryan and Son's Family Sports in Attleboro, said snow, or the lack thereof, is not the final determinant in winter play.

"It affects pond hockey, but indoor hockey is doing fine," he said, adding that sales of hockey-related equipment are keeping apace.

And while sales of winter jackets have taken a hit at his store, that is offset by a continuing interest in sweatshirts embroidered with the names of local high school teams for various sports.

"It reflects school spirit," Ryan said.

Hundreds of miles away, a similar sense of community is keeping the Attleboro Ski Club in good shape. Based out of Twin Mountain, N.H., its 110 members all have links to the Attleboro area, and some of them are skiing at the lodge already.

"It's still early in the season, but there are a few retirees here right now," said Joe Murawski, a member since 1974 and a North Attleboro resident from 1970 to 1979. Murawski said that downhill skiers are currently enjoying the slopes with the help of man-made snow, and that real snow was hitting the ground there as of Tuesday evening.

Noting that 30 to 40 members would make the trip to the lodge between Christmas and New Year's, he said there was another incentive besides snow - real or fake.

"It's also a social issue," he said. "People come here to enjoy the view and to enjoy the camaraderie."