Mountain Creek is offering a sneak peak of the winter skiing season this weekend, courtesy of the frigid air that blanketed the region earlier this week.

Snow-making machines at the resort in Vernon were turned on Tuesday night and, by the time they were shut down as temperatures rose above freezing Thursday afternoon, nearly 2 million gallons of water had been transformed into snow, a resort spokesman said.

That is nowhere near enough to open all of Mountain Creek, which is home to 167 acres of trails on four mountain peaks.

However, it is sufficient for the resort to open 4 to 5 acres on the left side of Sugar Slope, on Saturday and Sunday, to give freestyle skiers and snow boarders a chance to slide some rails and get a preview of the season, said Evan Kovach, the resort’s director of sales and marketing.

“It’s set-up for both skiers and snowboarders, but specifically geared for freestyle skiers and snowboarders,” Kovach said.

It will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.

Those with season passes and triple passes, a 3-visit card that sells for $99, will get in for free, while others will be admitted for $10 per day.

Mountain Creek is dubbing it a “hike park event,” since there is not yet enough snow on the ground to run the lift on Sugar Slope, which rises about 350 vertical feet.

Kovach said it will appeal to those, generally freestyle skiers and snowboarders, who are “more inclined to appreciate terrain park features.”

Kovach said the planned, official opening day remains Dec. 14 but that anything is possible if another arctic blast develops.

“We’re not calling it our official opening. We’re kind of calling it the special event, the teaser,” he said of this weekend.

Snow-making is underway at Mountain Creek in VernonPhoto courtesy of Mountain Creek

There is a possibility of opening Sugar Slope on subsequent weekends, depending on conditions, he added.

Temperatures at Mountain Creek dipped to about 13 degrees overnight Wednesday.

While the lift will not be running, the Biergarten - known for its cold German brews, hot burgers and bratwurst - will be open.

The ski resort is run by New Jersey-based SNOW Operating, which is a key player in the American Dream mega-mall in East Rutherford.

It is operating the 16-story, climate-controlled indoor ski and snowboard park that is scheduled to open at the shopping and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands on Dec. 5.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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