Pennsylvania

Ski Season Comes Earlier Than Ever to Pocono-Area Mountains

With colder than normal temps, ski slopes at Bear Creek Mountain, Big Boulder and Blue Mountain are opening in mid November

What to Know

  • With cold weather, mountain in eastern Pennsylvania started making snow early this ski season.
  • Bear Creek Mountain and Blue Mountain will be opening their slopes the earliest ever this weekend.
  • Other Pocono mountains are making snow as they prepare to welcome skiers and snowboarders.

Grab your snow pants, the cold blast hitting our region this week is giving resorts in Pennsylvania’s Poconos region a chance to get an early start on ski season.

Blue Mountain in Palmerton is opening Saturday, the earliest start to ski season in the resort’s 42-year history, said marketing specialist Ashley Seier. They normally try to open by Black Friday.

Blue Mountain, like other Pennsylvania ski and snowboarding slopes, is making snow around the clock as subfreezing temps grip the region. Blue will have five slopes and two lifts open Saturday, Seier said. They plan to keep opening on weekends until the cold weather really settles in allowing them to open all week long.

Blue isn’t alone in setting a record for its earliest opening date. Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Lehigh Valley plans to open Friday at 4 p.m., “if all goes well this week.”

Big Boulder in Blakeslee is opening the earliest, letting skiers and snowboarders on its slopes at 3 p.m. Friday.

Camelback Mountain in Tannersville and Shawnee Mountain in East Stroudsburg have started making snow but have not announced plans to open this weekend.

Ski Big Bear in Lackawaxen is hoping to have its ski slopes open by Dec. 14, weather permitting.

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