A number of leading North American resorts have announced their target opening dates for the coming ski season, in many cases less than three months away.
In Colorado Breckenridge and Vail will open on November 11th and Keystone will aim to open in less than two month's time in "mid-October" – as soon as there's enough snow fallen or machine-made once cold enough.
In California Mammoth Mountain are targeting November 11th and Heavenly a week later on the 18th. The largest ski area in the US, Park City in Utah, will also open on the 18th, all being well.
Up in Canada Whistler Blackcomb, the continent's largest ski area, it's a fortnight later on November 24th.
On the East Coast Stowe say they'll also open on November 18th.
The opening dates have been announced as the first snowfall has been reported in the continental US with several light dustings in the past few days on high points in Colorado. Most recently on Pike's Peak on Sunday.
They also come as the big lift pass schemes, the Alterra groups Ikon pass and Vail Resorts' Epic Pass, prepare for a price rise at the start of September as the season start nears. The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), say that these passes, along with other multi-resort pass schemes, now represent more than 52% of all annual lift pass sales.
North America's ski season usually begins in mid to late October with centres with high slopes in Colorado usually starting snowmaking in late September and doing battle to be the first to open. Some years though cold weather allows centres in New England or the Midwest to claim first spot by firing up their snowmaking early, and West Coast areas have also been first some years after unusual early heavy snowfalls.
