ELK MOUNTAIN, Pa. -- Before the really cold air moves in, skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes all across our area.
The morning started off with a fresh five inches of snow and the shining sun at Elk Mountain in Susquehanna County, and skiers and snowboarders knew this was going to be short-lived.
"We're trying to get as much skiing in as we can before the terrible weather comes. It's 20 degrees and sunny," said Gene Boylan of Kingston.
"It's beautiful here. We were here yesterday with the snow. It was gorgeous, but we know it's going to get cold pretty soon," said Mark Schor of Lehighton.
There were 27 slopes and trails open at Elk, but the arctic air didn't arrive quite yet.
"Tonight and tomorrow is going to be very cold. I'm concerned about tomorrow night. I'm not sure if we'll have to close tomorrow night or not, but right now, we have perfect snow conditions," said Elk's Gregg Confer.
Several area school districts had the day off because of the weather for the second day in a row.
"Today was a snow day at our school, so we decided to get up bright and early and head out for the slopes."
Even though it's about to get much colder, skiers and snowboarders stressed the importance of dressing in layers in weather like this.
"Toe warmers, hand warmers, stuff like that. I have about seven layers on. Got to stay bundled up to not get the wind chill," said Marlee and Maxwell Olsson of Hawley.
Dressing in layers has a different meaning for one skier, but there's a reason. He is skiing in a dinosaur costume. Honesdale sophomores Caleb Lavelle and Jake Panza teach ski lessons to kids with special needs every Friday.
"That was our idea for it, we bought it off Amazon, and Jake jumps in it. All the kids have a great time, and it gives them something to laugh at," Caleb said.
On this day, the dinosaur costume was actually a way to stay warm. As temperatures tumble the next two days, Elk Mountain officials say to check back with them for hours and open trails.