Skiers, snowboarders flock to the Poconos as slopes open for winter season
PALMERTON, Pa. - The calendar has flipped to December and in the Poconos, that means one thing. Snow.
Friday was opening day for Blue Mountain and many trails are now snow covered. It may not be the real stuff, but it will do for opening weekend.
It may not be Christmas, but it feels as if it is for many snowboarders and skiers.
Robert Shea said, "I just love the sport, so I really want to get out here as soon as possible and hit the slopes."
"We had people lining up at 5 a.m. to get here and the slopes didn’t open until 8 a.m., so people want that bragging rights of the first trail and they’re real excited to get on the slopes," Director of Marketing for Blue Mountain, Ashley Seier said.
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Sirina Castillo and her family didn’t even come to ski. Visiting from Florida, she just came to see something she’s never seen before.
"You’ve never seen snow before?" FOX 29’s Chris O’Connell asked.
"I’ve never seen snow before," Castillo answered.
"What’s it like?" O’Connell pressed.
"It’s nice!" she replied.
"Is it what you expected?" O’Connell asked.
"Yes and more!" Castillo commented.
Oscar Zia, a Rutgers student from China, says he plans on tearing up the slopes as much as he can this season. "I buy the season pass, so I think, if I can travel, I will come here."
For this season, Blue Mountain added new high-tech automated snow-making machines. The guns and fans blast the slopes with 14,000 gallons of water a minute, as soon as it’s cold enough.
"Whenever Mother Nature brings those temperatures, we are able to blast out the snow and really take advantage of those windows," Seier explained. "Whether Mother Nature brings it or we have to make it ourselves, the slopes will be open this year."
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The big weather question every winter is how much snow can we expect. The FOX 29 Weather Authority breaks down the numbers for the 2023-2024 winter season.
Skiers and snowboarders are hoping there’s a lot more snow on the way. With a long-range seasonal forecast including lots of snow, that could be a very good thing in the Poconos.