Back
3:49 min February 03, 2025

Pocono Snowmaking at Blue Mountain Resort

Learn how Blue Mountain is leading the way in snowmaking technology with 500+ snow guns.

Whether you're on skis or on a board, Blue Mountain Resort is in a league of its own with 40 trails, 15 chairlifts, and two lodges—top and bottom.

And every winter, it all starts with the click of a mouse. A state-of-the-art, first-in-its-class snowmaking operation, automated since the mid-'90s, and today, the ski industry looks to Blue to lead the way.

"It's as simple as a click of a button. Now, there's a lot of stuff going on in the background after that click of a button, but it's really utilizing that window of opportunity. Like you said, 28 degrees wet bulb and below—it's how much snow can you produce in that window. And it's a race," said Nick Delich.

Delich and his team at Blue Mountain devote themselves—and an arsenal of 550 snow guns and thousands of miles of underground infrastructure—to getting this mountain in tip-top shape for the season.

"It's a massive undertaking every year. And you hit the nail on the head when you brought up the maintenance side of it. Right. So the ski season ends, and day one after, we are back at it—whether it's installing new snow guns or maintaining the 550 that we already have. It's highly technologically advanced."

More than 130 new snow guns in 2025, the largest water-pumping capacity on the East Coast, and the Blue crew can take pride in being ahead of the curve.

Look at this massive operation from the air and from our network of Pocono Mountains live cameras at a half dozen vantage points.

"I mean, they invest in snowmaking. We can see it paid off, right? I mean, to open with the most trails in Pennsylvania, to consistently have the most amount of trails open, to, you know, we get these rain events, and we're able to just refresh conditions and kind of open like nothing ever happened," said Ashley Seier with Blue Mountain Resort.

"That's why, right now, Blue Mountain, we have the most open terrain in Pennsylvania. And not only is it the most open terrain, but it's fantastic conditions that our guests continue to come here year after year because they expect it, and we deliver every year," added Delich.

From the very top of the mountain all the way to the bottom and every place in between, Blue Mountain Resort has elevated the game, pouring millions of dollars into snowmaking technology. And even when there's no snow in the city or other parts of the Poconos, if it's cold enough, you can rest assured—it's snowing at Blue.

"I mean, conditions are everything, right? And it's everything for that advanced skier who might be hitting as high as vertical and, you know, looking for those double black diamonds, but also for the beginner, too. Right? You want them to have really great conditions to learn on because if their first experience is great, they're going to keep coming back and they're going to stick with the sport," added Seier.

"You know, it's a unique job. Nothing else like it out there. You have the opportunity to take a grass landscape and turn it into a winter wonderland practically overnight. It's an incredible job," said Delich.

An incredible operation that makes snow and, in turn, makes Blue Mountain a premier winter destination in the Poconos.