Those of us waking up in Colorado this Tuesday, October 13th, know that today finally feels like fall. Some places across the west even feel like winter, with plenty of our favorite ski resorts getting everything from a light dusting to well over a foot of snow in the last 48 hours. Unfortunately that does not mean that ski season is here, but its start could be closer than you think.
Colorado’s Keystone Resort currently has day tickets available online for Saturday, October 24th. Tickets are available for $124 for adults or $81 for children (ages 5-12). While it’s undoubtedly and exciting sight, it is very important to note that this does not mean Keystone will be open by next weekend.
Is it possible for Keystone to open by October 24th? Maybe! We don’t know what their snowmaking status is right now, and it will heavily depend on the weather over the next few weeks. That said, with the shift in temperature across the state, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the first lifts start to open by early November.
Who Will Open First?
The race to open first is a heated one in Colorado, with Keystone Resort, Arapahoe Basin, and Loveland Ski Area typically competing for the title. Last year Keystone just beat Arapahoe Basin by opening for 3 hour of skiing between 3pm and 6pm on Saturday, October 25th, the evening before Arapahoe Basin was set to open.
While all three of those resorts have certainly already tested their snowmaking equipment, none of them have announced the official start to the snowmaking process. Last year Arapahoe Basin announced the start of snowmaking on October 13th, leaving about two weeks before when they started to when they opened. If snowmaking started today, it seems possible that mountains could open by next weekend.
The possibility of snowmaking relies heavily on the wet bulb temperature, which considers both the temperature and humidity. So while it might feel nice and cold to your skin, it still might not be cold enough to kick on the snow guns. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on snowmaking and opening dates as they’re announced. Note that Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, and Loveland Ski Area are all likely to announce their opening within 24 hours of lifts spinning, so you won’t have much time to plan.