For local ski areas, the forecast for the month of December is looking much better than it did in 2015.

Last year, the month of December was one to forget for ski areas. Temperatures were above average, culminating with 70-degree temperatures on Christmas Eve.If this week's forecast is any sign, the upcoming weather should be much better for snow-making.AccuWeather predicts that a blast of Arctic air sweeping across North America will reach our area on Thursday or Friday, bringing cold temperatures. Milder temperatures may follow, but nothing like the sustained warmth that took place last December."It's a pretty safe statement that this winter, early part of winter will definitely be colder than early part of last year," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Dombek said.That's good news for local mountains who are already a step ahead of where they were at this time in 2015.Big Boulder is routinely the first resort in Pennsylvania to open, thanks to a combination of high elevation and the geography of the mountain. This year the resort opened for weekend skiing in late November, a full month before it did in 2015."We're proud to yet again be the first resort to open in Pennsylvania, although this year we shared the crown with Seven Springs, opening the same day," Pat Morgan, marketing manager for JFBB, said.About 2,000 skiers came out for that first weekend.Morgan said the attendance was "all the proof we needed that people in fact still believe in winter, and are appreciative of our efforts to make winter happen even with questionable forecasts."Cold temperatures this week should allow them to open up more terrain and more nights of skiing, Morgan said.Blue Mountain, which has the largest vertical drop in Pennsylvania, usually opens a little after JFBB.Officials said that the resort will open well before the date it opened last year. While the resort doesn't release an opening day before it is totally confirmed, Blue Mountain officials said that there should be enough snow to open sometime in the middle of the month."The lower temps coming up at the end of this week are great for our snow-making goals," Marketing Director Melissa Yingling said. We take advantage of every opportunity we get, keeping a close eye on both the temperatures and the humidity. As long as both cooperate, we make snow!"