Slope riders chomping at the bit to hit the trails at Blue Mountain Resort will have to hang tight.

Due to a shift in the weather pattern, the resort in Palmerton will not open on Friday for its 47th ski season as originally planned. Rain and snow are in the forecast for Thursday.

However, snow-making will begin Friday night, said Ashley Seier, director of marketing at the resort.

“The 10-day forecast is looking in our favor to be able to produce snow nightly,” Seier said. “We typically aim for 40-50 hours of snow-making to open for the season.”

Seier added that the resort is expected to open soon.

“While we don’t have an exact opening day just yet, we anticipate it to be next week,” she said. “We will be putting our new snow-making system to the test of its full potential, and anticipate to open with more terrain than ever before.”

Seier added that guests can visit skibluemt.com and the resort’s social media channels for updates on opening day.

Recently recognized as one of the Top 30 Ski Resorts in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, Blue Mountain boasts Pennsylvania’s highest vertical at 1,082 feet with 40 ski trails, 14 lifts and 171 skiable acres catering to all skill levels.

With even more trails set to open this year, guests can look forward to an expanded winter wonderland at Blue Mountain.

Highlights of the upcoming 2024-2025 snow season at Blue Mountain Resort include:

• Blue Mountain Resort and Camelback Resort in Tannersville, offer unlimited skiing and lift access at both resorts through their Peak-to-Peak Poconos Pass program.

• Building on last year’s multimillion-dollar investment in snow-making technology, Blue Mountain Resort has made another significant upgrade for the 2024-2025 season. This latest enhancement includes 132 new stick guns and six fan guns installed across the mountain, which will result in a 17.5% increase of opening day snow production compared with last year.

The investment also features a complete overhaul of the resort’s automation software, improving snow-making efficiency and timing control to ensure the best possible conditions. Expanded trails for this season include Come Around, Lower Lazy, Falls and Lower Sidewinder. Additionally, a new 2024 Prinoth Bison X Cat snow groomer will be in place by late fall.

•With the newly installed snow-making equipment, Blue Mountain will be able to open snow tubing early in the season with up to 56 lanes — each over 1,000 feet long. The fully lit lanes will feature nighttime tubing, including Sonic Tubing after dark with music and disco lighting. Guests can enjoy the convenience of three lifts, and both single and double tubes are available for an exhilarating experience and friendly competition.