EAST STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A new texting service is lending a helping hand to two ski resorts in the Poconos as NEPA’s fickle winter weather continues.

Wednesday morning the brisk, cold air was a warm welcome to crews at Shawnee Mountain Ski Area. The resort is one of many in the Poconos needing to rely on its snowmaking equipment this season as our area has seen above-average temperatures this winter.

“Everybody’s walking around with a smile on their face because we’re making snow again and it just turns the whole vibe of the mountain around like instantly and you can see it in our customers as well,” said Zach McCormack, who’s the mountain manager at Shawnee.

Making snow comes down to a science and without the colder temperatures, Shawnee is unable to fill its slopes. But even with the unseasonable weather thrown their way they’ve been able to keep 19 of its runs open.

“Mother Nature hasn’t always been cooperative this year at least so far, but our staff, as well as our guests, have really been super positive. They’ve really kept that energy up,” said Shawnee MountaiSki Area Operations Manager, Joshua Urciuoli.

One way Shawnee officials are working with its community is by teaming up with the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau to debut a new texting service called ‘SkiText.’

“This is really a way for the mountains to communicate with their skiers more directly when they’re either on the mountain, planning a trip, or they can also go on and ask questions to learn more about what’s going on,” said Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau Executive Vice President, Brian Bossuyt.

At the tips of your fingers, skiers and snowboarders at both Shawnee and Ski Big Bear can find out information like snow reports and dining options. A new feature that Shawnee staff say will help them bring in more guests to the area.

“They’re a huge part of the tourism industry here, which is how our local economy thrives, all the local businesses. We depend on these people to visit us in the winter so we’re really appreciative for the opportunity,” explained Rachel Wyckoff, who is the marketing director at Shawnee.

Anyone who signs up for ‘SkiTest” also gets a chance to win a free lift ticket to the Shawnee Mountain Ski Area.