Ski centres in Colorado may get as much as 60cm (2 feet) of fresh snow from a major storm that is currently in the US ski state an expected to continue dumping snow until Tuesday.
Ski areas have been posting overnight pictures showing of snow gauges showing more than 30cm/12 inches of snow already. Steamboat is pictured above.
Colorado ski areas are usually amongst the first in the USA and in deed the entire northern hemisphere to open each season, but often rely on snowmaking at some of their high elevation areas rather than natural snowfall to be able to open.
Arapahoe Basin and Loveland ski areas, two of the world's highest ski areas, had already begun snowmaking last week aiming to open by mid-October.
The new natural snowfall mans they may choose to accelerate their las, particularly if longer term forecasts indicate the weather remaining cold.