On a cold but sunny afternoon, a stream of light bouncing off a hill of freshly churned snow poured into Tom Mettrick's office yesterday as he predicted a huge turnout for today's reopening of Boyce Park's renovated ski area.

"I have a feeling it's going to be a pretty busy day," said Mr. Mettrick, manager of the park's ski area, which closed for renovations in March 2006.

The Boyce Park Ski Area in Monroeville and Plum was to reopen at 9 a.m., weather permitting, after being closed for a $1 million facelift during the 2006-07 season.

The ski area now has a six-lane snow tubing area and upgrades to existing ski lifts, said Allegheny County Parks Department officials. The parks department also added two magic carpet lifts, which are big conveyer belts that function like a moving sidewalk up the hill.

One of the slow-moving conveyor belts will carry novice skiers and snowboarders to the top of the hill, while the other magic carpet lift will be used by snow tubers.

Standing in the lounge of the park's Four Seasons Activities Center, overlooking the beginners' slope, Mr. Mettrick, who has worked at the ski area for 15 years, pointed to a row of seven elevated snow guns planted on the hillside.

"Those raised ones are new," he said. "They are computerized and programmed to start making new snow as soon as the temperatures start falling. The colder it gets, the more snow we make."

Skiers, snowboarders and first-time tubers at the ski area will appreciate the low temperatures of the last few days when they hit the slopes today, said Mr. Mettrick. Yesterday, he said, the slopes were covered with about 3 feet of snow.

For the most part, yesterday was a quiet day at the park as crews put finishing touches on the slopes, including an inflatable rubber wall called "the hot dog," which will be placed at the foot of the tubing hill for tubers who overshoot the slope.

"We tested the tubing slope yesterday and it works very well, but we found that the more people there are, the faster they go, and so we decided that we need a buffer in case things get too fast," Mr. Mettrick said.

As a number of ground-level snow guns sprayed layers of snow over the beginners' slope and Adam's Run, an intermediate slope nearby, the phone in Mr. Mettrick's office rang off the hook.

"People have been calling all day long," he said. Even before the addition of a tubing section, the ski area averaged between 600 and 800 people "on a good day," he added.

Weather permitting, the ski area will be open through mid-March, 3:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 3:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday. On weekends and holidays, ski sessions will be 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 5 to 10:30 p.m.

This year, weekend ski sessions are $13 for adults; $11 for ages 6 to 17; $4 for children 5 and under, and $10 for seniors 60 and up. Weekday sessions are $9 for adults; $7 for youth; $4 for 5 and under, and $6 for seniors.

Three-hour tubing sessions are $10 for ages 13 and older; $6 for 12 and under.

Prices do not include equipment rentals. Group prices are available. Call 724-733-4665 or visit www.alleghenycounty.us/parks/bpfac.aspx# for more information.