Loveland Ski Area begins making snow
The warm start to the snowmaking season is not stopping Loveland Ski Area from firing up the snow guns. The team started making snow on Catwalk and Mambo early Wednesday morning. Loveland began making snow last year on Oct. 10.
Loveland's COO Rob Goodell said, "Our snowmaking team was ready to go when the temperatures dropped, and they had a very productive first night of snowmaking. We are off to a great start and will continue to make snow as conditions permit. Ski season is right around the corner."
Mother Nature has been slow to help.
"The extended forecast for most of Colorado also looks quite dry with no good chances for moisture through at least the middle of next week," said First Alert Meteorologist Ashton Altieri.
Last year at this time, Arapahoe Basin prepared to open for the season. Skiers and riders hit the slopes at A-Basin on Oct. 17. The earliest Arapahoe Basin ever opened was in 2009 on Oct. 9. Now the start of the season seems a long way off.
Loveland typically needs two weeks of snowmaking before it opens Schaefer said Loveland hopes to open at the end of October, "or early November," Schaefer said.
Arapahoe Basin boasted about the first significant snowfall of the season on Oct. 1. And it said, "opening day is still TBD." Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Wolf Creek and Keystone all have vied for bragging rights to proclaim who was the first to open.
Opening Days:
End of October:
Keystone
Arapahoe Basin
Loveland
Wolf Creek
November 11:
Breckenridge
Vail
November 17:
Winter Park
Eldora
Week of Thanksgiving:
Copper
Beaver Creek
Crested Butte
Telluride
Purgatory
Snowmass
Aspen
Steamboat