Vail fires up new snowmaking system as winter weather rolls on

Vail cranked up its new snowmaking system on Thursday, taking advantage of colder temperatures and a half a foot of fresh snow overnight. More snow is in the forecast for Sunday.

“Thanks to favorable temperatures, Vail has officially fired up its new state-of-the-art snowmaking system for the first time this season,” Vail and Beaver Creek spokeswoman Hannah Dixon wrote on Thursday. “And, thanks to Mother Nature, our Colorado resorts received up to 9 inches of natural snowfall overnight, and up to 25 inches since Monday. While the ski season is already well underway at Keystone (hello, North Peak!), the other Colorado Resorts are busy getting ready for their respective opening days.”

Vail, which received 6 inches of new snow by Thursday after 8 inches on Monday, opens Friday, Nov. 15. Beaver Creek, which received 9 inches overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning, opens for the season on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Breckenridge, also a recipient of 9 inches of fresh snow, opens on Friday, Nov 8, along with nearby Copper Mountain.

Keystone, which will more than double its terrain and increase the number of operating lifts to five on Friday, has been up and running since Oct. 12. Arapahoe Basin first opened for the season on Oct. 11. Loveland Ski Area is set to open on Friday, Wolf Creek just announced it will open on Halloween, Thursday, Oct. 31, and Eldora followed suit by announcing it will open two weeks early on Friday, Nov. 1.

“Wednesday night’s fast-moving storm came in strong with 5-10 inches of snow accumulation in the northern and central mountains,” Opensnow.com meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote Thursday morning. “The weather on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be dry, then we’ll close out October with a multi-part storm that will likely bring snow from Sunday through Wednesday.”

Here’s the full snowmaking press release from Vail Resorts.

Ski season is underway in Colorado, and guests and Epic Pass holders have a lot to look forward to as more resorts are getting ready to open in the coming weeks. Mother Nature dropped up to 9 inches of snow overnight and up to 25 inches since Monday across Colorado resorts. With chilly temperatures, snowmaking is cranking and Vail has fired up its new state-of-the-art snowmaking system for the first time this season, in preparation for Opening Day on Nov. 15. For those itching to hit the slopes now, Keystone is open and announced yesterday plans to expand terrain and open North Peak on Friday, providing guests more than 80 acres of skiable terrain this weekend. In addition, Breckenridge is scheduled to open next on Friday, Nov, 8, followed by Vail on Friday, Nov. 15, and then Beaver Creek and Crested Butte on Wednesday, Nov. 27.  

While Mother Nature has provided generous October snowfall, resort snowmakers and upgraded snowmaking technology are the real heroes when it comes to early season skiing and riding. Vail has been hard at work this year with an ambitious snowmaking expansion project—the largest in Vail Mountain’s history and the largest single-year project in North America. The upgrade adds nearly 200 acres of new and enhanced snowmaking terrain, in addition to the existing 431 acres of snowmaking terrain, transforming the opening day and early season experience at Vail. This season’s opening day terrain will be accessed via Vail Village and Gondola One, and guests will have earlier access to higher elevation terrain, a broader variety of trails, earlier access from all three base areas, and improved early season ski school terrain.   

Keystone’s snowmaking technology helped lead the resort to its earliest opening in more than 20 years, and snowmaking continues as the resort works to expand terrain. Snowmaking is also underway at Breckenridge and at Beaver Creek. 

Now is the Last Chance to Secure an Epic Pass for the 2019-20 Winter Season 

Epic Passes are on sale now for a limited time only, and now is the last chance for skiers and riders to secure the best multi-resort pass deal in the ski industry. New for the 2019-20 season, Vail Resorts launched the Epic Day Pass allowing guests to ski world-class resorts for up to 50 percent off of lift ticket window prices. Starting at as little as $112 for one day of skiing at any of Vail Resorts’ North American resorts, the Epic Day Pass is perfect for those skiers and riders who may not need the unlimited skiing offered by traditional season passes. Guests can also lower their cost per day by adding more days. 

Also introduced for the 2019-20 season are the Keystone Plus Pass and the new Keystone Crested Butte 4-Pack. For $409, the Keystone Plus Pass, with certain holiday restrictions, provides unlimited access to Keystone, unlimited late spring skiing at Breckenridge starting April 1, 2020, and five days at Crested Butte. The Keystone Crested Butte 4-Pack offers any four total days between Keystone and Crested Butte, with holiday restrictions, for only $249. 

For guests looking to ski more days in a season, the Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass continue to offer the best value and variety for unlimited skiing and riding. Currently priced at $989 for the 2019-20 winter season, the Epic Pass provides unlimited, unrestricted access to all of Vail Resorts’ owned and operated resorts and additional access to partner resorts around the world. For skiers and riders willing to navigate around a few peak dates, the Epic Local Pass offers incredible value with access to many of the same destinations, starting at only $739. The entire lineup of Epic Pass options is on sale now at epicpass.com.