The ski season in North America is set to start on Friday 13th October after Arapahoe Basin announced it plans to open in 48 hours.
The Colorado ski area, which has been the first, or joint-first, to open on the continent for many years, and has the longest ski season in the world of any resort without a glacier, is one of several to have been snowmaking since late September.
Colorado was also hit by heavy snow yesterday bringing up to a reported 10 inches/25cm of snow down to resort level, and even reaching the streets of Denver, although the ski area opening is credited to the snowmaking.
"Friday, October 13 will be opening day for the 2017-18 ski season. Our snowmaking efforts have gone very well with cold temperatures and high streamflows," said Alan Alan Henceroth, A Basin' COO< a few hours ago, adding, "I just walked High Noon. The snow coverage is really good. The snowmakers are already moving fan guns to Ramrod and Dercum's Gulch. Two snow cat drivers will be in Wednesday to start pushing the snow around."
The other likely candidate to open first, A Basin's neighbour Loveland, has ruled itself out of opening by Friday, saying it needs a little more snowmaking time. The two resorts are amongst the world's 10 highest ski areas.
October 13th is the earliest opening day for some years. Last season A Basin didn't open until the end of October 2016 and after a warm spell hit the Rockies, Loveland not until November.