Jay Lloyd's Getaway: Local Ski Areas Begin Piling Up The White Stuff
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By Jay Lloyd
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SCHWENKSVILLE, Pa. (CBS) -- You may not see it on your lawn, but snow is flying, from Montgomery County to the Poconos.
So far, it's all man-made.
There's a reason that Pennsylvania has been tagged as "banana belt skiing" country.
Without man-made snow, sliding down a mountain on colorful skis and snowboards here would be a fickle pursuit at best.
But with cold nights and low humidity, the folks who run Spring Mountain resort are excited about the quality of snow that's already piling up.
"We can get a drier snow if we want it," says owner Rick Buckman. "Once we're open, we try to get a drier snow -- and most of the time it's better than what we get from Mother Nature in this part of the country."
If the weather holds, favorite ski areas will keep tapping reservoirs with giant pumps, then push the water through air compressors, pipes, hoses, and nozzles to create man-made blizzards over entire ski trails in the cold night air.
There is already limited skiing in the Poconos. Most resorts are still a few weeks away from opening day. But it might pay to check their web sites for a surprise early season launch!
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