Vail hit by more than 20 inches of new snow ahead of opening day (still set for Nov. 11)

Vail spokesman John Plack on Thursday told RealVail.com that 21 inches of new snow fell on Vail Mountain during the most recent storm cycle that lasted Sunday through Thursday, but he had no news about any possible early opening.

As of this Friday, Vail is still scheduled to open for the season on Friday, Nov. 11.

But if you’re an Epic Pass-holder, nearby Keystone opened for the season on Friday.

And if you’re not, Arapahoe Basin is already open and adding terrain by the day, Winter Park Resort opens on Halloween, Monday, Oct. 31, and Loveland Ski Area hopes to open at some point next week.

“Thanks to a week of cold temperatures and 6-20 inches of snow during the last five days, Keystone will open today (Fri, Oct 28), Winter Park will open on Mon, Oct 31, Loveland will likely open next week, and Arapahoe Basin is opening a second trail,” meteorologist Joel Gratz of Opensnow.com wrote on Friday. “Weatherwise, we’ll be dry through about Wednesday, then expect snow to return around November 3-4.”

Loveland received more than a foot of snow and is on track to open “sometime next week.”

“Another 6” of snow fell on Loveland Ski Area today,” Loveland reported on its website on Thursday. “Loveland has received 16” in the past week. The snowguns are going and the snowcats are pushing snow. Unfortunately, we still have more snow to make on the bottom section of Homerun and at the base area of Chet’s Dream. Loveland Ski Area will not open this week. Loveland is very optimistic that we’ll open sometime next week.”