SCRANTON -- Almost all of the schools in our area were closed Tuesday because of the extreme cold but that didn't keep some kids from being out in the bitter temperatures. Some of them went skiing.
Montage Mountain offers discounts for students and teachers on snow days. That applied to this cold day, too and some took advantage of it.
Yes, there were people willingly subjecting themselves to below-zero temperatures and -20 wind chills. There were skiers and snowboarders on Montage Mountain in Scranton.
“It is (fun) until you've realized what happened to me. Going back in the lodge trying to peel off the ice, then going up the mountain can be fun,” said Dan Huy of Scranton.
Guns blowing snow made it feel even colder but some decided to brave it all.
“As long as you're bundled up, you're fine. If there's any exposed skin, that's where the problem lies,” explained Jennifer Barlow of New Jersey.
Montage Mountain is offering a deal all season: if school is called off, students and staff get a $20 to $30 discount if they're there before noon.
School officials determined this day was too cold for classes, but when a trio bundling up to hit the slopes found out school was cancelled, they thought one thing:
“Ski time,” said Andrew Mariotti of Clarks Summit.
Sean Watt from Mount Cobb thought the same thing and wanted the discount.
"Just going to ski and try to get through the cold."
There is a fire going outside the lodge but on this day, it was just for show. You couldn’t feel any heat coming from it in all this cold. But the mountain is warning those brave souls up on the slopes to take precautions.
"We recommend that they bundle up, wear some mid-layers and definitely protect themselves. We want to make sure everyone is taking proper precautions when they're out on the slopes. We're encouraging skiing, but also encouraging them to be careful out there,” said Montage Mountain spokesperson Sarah Farrell.
And those out in the extreme cold say they are, and having fun, too.
"I love snowboarding and I've been dying to come here all year and I couldn't. I just had to come,” said Huy.
There is definitely a benefit from this cold for Montage Mountain and other ski resorts. They were able to make a lot of snow, making up for whatever melted Sunday into Monday.