The temperatures of late may not feel like Christmas, but the weather has not been impeding Christmas tree sales this season.

"People are definitely enjoying (the warm weather)," said Michelle Umrysz of Yetter Road Tree Farm in Mystic.

She said the farm was very busy on Black Friday, opening day for the farm.

The next two weekends are historically the busiest, and customers will come out for their trees regardless of the weather, she said.

Umrysz said many families tagged their trees last weekend before cutting them down later in the season, including one family that has been coming out for more than 15 years to tag the ugliest "Charlie Brown Christmas tree" they can find.

The roughly 500 Christmas tree farms in the state about 30,000 locally grown trees every year.

Kathy Kogut, executive director of the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Association, said sales are increasing lately as people are becoming more environmentally conscious and seeking a natural tree.

"They don't want to spend money on a tree that won't last," she said, noting that locally grown trees are fresher than those harvested for larger businesses, which are often cut in September.

In Voluntown, Ron Olsen, owner of Olsen's Christmas Trees, said sales slumped last Saturday because of the rain, but the rest of the Black Friday weekend was busy.

He said his sales have been boosted this year after one of his white pines was named both the State Champion and the Reserve Champion in the Christmas tree competition at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass.

Usually fir trees win the competition, Olsen said, so he was surprised to win the second-place prize for all of New England. He said customers have mentioned the awards when they come to cut their tree, and it is a good promotion for his family business.

Wayne Henson, advertising manager at Holdridge Home and Garden Showplace in Ledyard, said he is expecting a good Christmas tree season for both fresh-cut and live trees.

Rain earlier in the year in the northern part of the state where the store's trees are grown has helped reduce needle drop.

The trees are cut fresh and delivered each week, and Henson said the store usually sells out around Dec. 19.

a.hutchinson@theday.com

Twitter: @ahutch411