To blatantly steal and twist a line from Mark Twain … The rumor of Okemo’s closing due to cold temperatures has been greatly exaggerated.

It seems that the news of Bolton Valley’s cancellation of night skiing due to cold temperatures has triggered an avalanche of false media reports about all of Vermont’s ski resorts closing.

Okemo is open – in fact we’re 100 percent open! All 119 trails (including the new trails at Jackson Gore: Rolling Thunder and White Lightning) are covered with snow and ready for skiers and snowboarders to rip it up.

Cold? Yes, it’s going to be a chilly one this weekend. Intrepid wintersports enthusiasts know that you can still enjoy a day on the slopes by dressing appropriately and taking regular breaks to warm up. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Thursday and Friday will be the coldest

Saturday's temps will begin to moderate (10-15 degrees at the base)

Sunday temps should range from 15-20 degrees

Strong winds are not forecasted

Okemo will also be extending our First Hour FREE skiing from 60 minutes to 90 minutes on Thurs, Friday and Saturday (just so you can test it out and make your own call)

But wait … there’s more!

--Hot Chocolate Galore! We'll have the Okemo Cold Patrol on alert with coupons for free hot chocolate - look for them in the base lodges. (Hint: take lots of breaks!)

--I survived the Arctic Blast of 2009! All guests purchasing tickets on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will receive "BELOW ZEROKEMO" coupons good for a return visit for $39 - valid Sunday through Friday beginning 1/20/09 (excluding the February holiday period).