Colorado ski areas welcome snow, opening day appears imminent

While some cursed Thursday’s snow storm across Colorado, others sang praises. Ski season was on the way.

By late afternoon, the powder pile-up was 5 inches and counting near Arapahoe Basin’s Black Mountain Express, regularly North America’s first chairlift to turn. A-Basin had yet to make an announcement but “the next couple of days will be VERY, VERY, VERY good snowmaking weather,” CEO Alan Henceroth wrote on his blog on Thursday.

Snowmaking continued, too, at Colorado’s other mountains vying for opening-day bragging rights: Loveland and Keystone, which is aiming for an October opening for the first time in nearly 20 years thanks to new automated snowguns.

Meanwhile, many resorts scheduled to open in November and December were getting a head start on trail coverage thanks to Mother Nature.

Of those reporting accumulation, Steamboat tallied the most in the morning with 7½ inches. Winter Park wasn’t far behind with 6 inches, which was also recorded at Aspen Mountain. Interstate 70 resorts were building on 3 inches.

Cold and dry conditions were expected to return to the high country Friday, with a warming trend to start Saturday.

Click here for snow totals around Colorado.

Click here for opening dates at Colorado ski resorts.