From Reporter Howard Nielsen

NEWRY, Maine (CNN) -- The cold front that has moved into the northeastern United States is good news for ski areas, which had little snow before the holidays because of unseasonably warm weather.

Ski areas generate 20 to 30 percent of their gross revenue during a seven to 10 day period in December. If they don't get business during that time, they're in trouble.

"It really puts them in a position of playing catch-up all season long," said Ken Hammerle, a ski industry analyst for Snow Engineering Inc.

However, a situation that would have had ski operators pulling their hair out 30 years ago isn't so tense today. The difference is that now they can make snow.

"The industry wouldn't be where it is without snowmaking. Snowmaking is everything to the industry," said Chip Seamans, a spokesman for the Sunday River Ski Area.

Ski area operators are actually more concerned about getting cold temperatures than they are about getting natural snow. As technology improves, they can adjust snowmaking to humidity and warm weather temperatures.

Their challenge is to convince skiers in metropolitan areas of the quality of man-made snow -- because skiers don't get excited about taking a trip if there is no sign of natural snow in the city.

"Things have been a little slow and scarce, not having snow here in the local area has definitely hurt us," said Randy Bisson of Ski Market.

The reputation of man-made snow is improving, and some skiers are willing to take a chance.

The fortunes of ski country innkeepers are closely tied to snow.

"One or two rooms missing in an important season of time can affect me drastically," said Gary Brearley of Brearley Inn.

Larger ski corporations, in contrast to smaller concerns, are in better financial shape. If the skiing is poor in one section of the country, it can be balanced by good skiing conditions elsewhere.