Snow, cold accelerate Colorado ski season preparations; A-Basin opens for snow riding

Editor’s update: As of Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 10, both Vail and Beaver Creek received a three-day total of 15 inches of new snow. Arapahoe Basin opened for the season on Monday, Nov. 9, and Loveland Ski Area announced it will open on Wednesday, Nov. 11, its latest opening since they started keeping records in 1979.

A dusting of new snow fell on the Eagle River Valley Sunday night and light snow was continuing Monday morning, with much colder temperatures ideal for snowmaking. And Arapahoe Basin opened for the season on Monday.

Forecasters are calling for drier weather through the middle of the week with another storm headed our way for the weekend, just in time for the scheduled opening of Epic Pass resort Breckenridge on Friday, Nov. 13.

Vail is scheduled to open on Friday, Nov. 20, with Epic Pass resorts Beaver Creek and Crested Butte joining the fray on Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Arapahoe Basin, on the Ikon Pass, opened Monday, joining Epic Pass resort Keystone and independent Wolf Creek in southern Colorado.

Here’s a report from A-Basin’s website on Monday:

“We are open for the 2020-21 season. Black Mountain Express, servicing the High Noon trail, will be open until 4:30 this afternoon. Tuesday (tomorrow), the lift will be open from 9 AM – 4 PM. If you have an A-Basin Season Pass or Any Day Pass, come on up. If you have an Ikon Pass, you can ski or ride today without a reservation. Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, you will need a reservation. Lift ticket must be purchased online and in advance.  Tickets are available for today thru Friday, December 18. The A-Basin ski season has begun and it is snowing. Remember, COVID rules apply.”

Loveland Ski Area, which typically duels A-Basin to open first, still had not made an announcement as of Monday afternoon.

According to Loveland Ski Area, “the latest opening since 1979 (as far back as our records go) was 11/10/2016. This will be our 7th time over that stretch opening in November.”

Forecasters like the looks of the next week of weather, both for snowmaking and natural snow.

“Heavy snow continues on Monday morning for the southern mountains, with lighter amounts in the central and northern mountains,” Opensnow.com meteorologist Sam Collentine reported Monday morning, Nov. 9.

“Our current storm will rotate on Monday afternoon and bring a few inches to the northern half of the state through Monday night,” Collentine added. “Cold and mostly dry from Tuesday through Thursday ahead of a good-looking storm for the upcoming weekend.”