A growing number of leading North American ski areas have published their intended 23-24 season opening dates this Fall, so long as mother nature plays ball.
November 10th looks set to be a big day with California's Mammoth Mountain, Alberta's Lake Louise as well as Breckenridge and Vail in Colorado all planning to open that day.
Nowhere has really confirmed an opening date before then but several will hope to open in October or earlier in November. They include Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, Loveland and Keystone in Colorado, then north of the border Mt Norquay, Sunshine and Nakiska in Alberta, Canada.
They'll be followed a week later by California's Heavenly and the largest ski area in the US at Park City Mountain are targeting 17th November for their opening day.
North America's largest resort Whistler Blackcomb in BC, Canada, will open on the 23rd November.
Loveland say they plan to start snowmaking at the end of next month.
The 22-23 US ski season only ended with Timberline closing some 10 months after the first areas had opened the previous fall in Mid-October in Colorado and the Midwest.