There may be an arctic chill in the night air, but the daytime hours are still perfect for enjoying the slopes.

“When it’s single digits outside, that can affect attendance,” said Blue Mountain Ski Resort General Manager James Dailey.

“But skiing in the cold can be enjoyable,” he added.

“When you’re out there, especially in the sun it’s pretty comfortable but it’s the shady spots and wind that cool it off.”

During those cold, windy days, Dailey said the ski patrol and staff make frequent announcements to keep an eye out for frostbite.

“You have to keep exposed areas covered and remain dry,” he said.

“Avoid cotton that traps perspiration. Wear a lot of layers with moisture-wicking material and avoid the shady spots,” he said.

Pat Morgan, director of free style terrain at Big Boulder, said it’s important to wear the right equipment when on the mountain in extreme cold.

“Don’t overdo it, watch for exposed skin. The damage that can occur can sneak up on you pretty quickly,” he said.

“Do what your mother always told you to do: wear the socks, hat and gloves,” Morgan said.

Both Dailey and Morgan said this year’s winter is off to a good start for outdoor sport enthusiasts.

“This has been an ideal ski season so far. If it gets too cold too fast it’s usually a mild winter. Those October snowstorms mean shorter winters with a January thaw. This year doesn’t seem that way,” Dailey said.

Morgan said the low temperatures are helping with the man-made flakes on the Jack Frost and Big Boulder slopes.

“The cold snap is a great thing. These are the winters we hope we have here in the Poconos,” he said.

“It helps us to be more efficient and there is less strain on our systems. Mother Nature has a heavy hand in this area,” said Morgan.

Big Boulder has 13 of its 16 trails open and is looking to open the rest in the upcoming week.

“The holiday week is one of those weeks you know will be busy so we are well-staffed and prepared for our guests.”

Blue Mountain has been working hard to create the perfect white snow tops needed for carving and shushing down the hills.

“We have 31 of 39 trails already open. We are expecting to have all of them open by Saturday. We also have tubing fully open, which is not common for us,” he said.

“We have an automated snow-making system that sets the (snow) guns. The system will take over and adjust them and make more snow. The automated system makes it more efficient. We still have a few manual adjusters, but it’s a nice mix,” he said.

There are two types of machine-made snow that skiers and snowboarders encounter on the mountain said Dailey.

“We have content snow and conditioning snow,” he said.

“There has to be a certain depth and width for skiing. If it gets warm and wet then everything freezes, we go back and do the conditions snow. Rain is more of a challenge than cold. Single digits may not be ideal but rain is a bigger challenge. We want a cool, dry winter with a few snow showers.”

Morgan agreed, saying, “This is the business we’re in — this snow business and we are ready for anything.”

Both mountains will remain open all season long, only closing in state of emergency situations including road closings.

To check conditions and lift ticket prices visit: www.skibluemt.com or www.jfbb.com