Skiers and snowboarders around Colorado have been eagerly awaiting Arapahoe Basin’s opening day announcement, with Arapahoe Basin – also known as A-Basin – often being the first spot to get lifts turning for the ski season thanks to their high elevation and snowmaking abilities.

While Arapahoe Basin generally pulls off an October opening, that won’t be the case for the 2024-2025 ski season. Instead, the resort will open on Saturday, November 2.

The last time the ski area opened in November was during a particularly dry 2020 when it opened on November 9. The November 2 opening this year appears to be the second-latest opening for Arapahoe Basin since snow-making operations started in 2002.

On Saturday, the Black Mountain Express will be servicing the High Noon run, which is a ‘blue’ intermediate favorite on the mountain. As noted by the resort, beginners should proceed with caution as navigating this run might fall outside of their skill set, especially considering that early-season snow conditions will be present and hazards may add additional risk hidden by a relatively thin layer of snow.

The first Colorado ski area to get lifts spinning this season was Wolf Creek Ski Area in southwest Colorado, which invited guests to its slopes on October 22 after a round of heavy snow in this part of the state.

Found just miles down the road of Arapahoe Basin, Keystone Resort is another oft-early opener. At time of publishing, no announcement has been made by Keystone regarding their opening day, though in recent years, an Arapahoe Basin announcement has seemed to spur on an announcement of their own. This writer is guessing they’ll be open this weekend, too, but time will tell.

Update from the author: A couple hours after the Arapahoe Basin announcement, Keystone announced that they’ll also be opening on Saturday, November 2 with two miles of terrain open, a hike-to terrain park, and a live DJ.

For many, the Arapahoe Basin opening is often symbolic of a start to ski season in Colorado (even though other resorts may end up opening first on occasion). The Arapahoe Basin opening tends to be a good indicator that the Central Mountain region – perhaps the most popular area for skiing in Colorado – is starting to establish its snowpack for the year.

Operations during Arapahoe Basin’s opening day are set to stretch from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., filled with festivities like first-come-first-serve donuts and the launch of the 6th Alley Mug Club (also first-come-first-serve). As a reminder, lift tickets and parking reservations should be purchased online and in-advance.

Find additional information about Arapahoe Basin here.