While three Front Range ski areas that typically open in October stand poised to begin snowmaking operations when temperatures drop low enough, Copper Mountain has begun blowing snow on the top of the mountain to prepare for a U.S. Ski Team training camp scheduled to begin Oct. 21.
Arapahoe Basin, Loveland and Keystone haven’t had sufficiently cold temperatures yet to crank up the guns. Arapahoe Basin had planned to begin Tuesday night but canceled the operation.
“It was a couple degrees too warm, and conditions don’t look super favorable for the rest of the week, so they decided to hold off,” said A-Basin spokeswoman Katherine Fuller.
Keystone spokesman Max Winter said temperatures have dropped as low as 30 degrees at the summit, not quite cold enough for snowmaking.
“Our team is standing by and ready to go the moment we see a fruitful window,” Winter said.
Copper’s snowmaking operations were conducted at the mountain’s higher elevations where temperatures tend to be colder than further down the mountain.
Copper Mountain is in a partnership with the U.S. Ski Team to provide preseason training for the World Cup season. Copper provides a slope suitable for high-speed downhill training from the top of the mountain to the East Village base that is closed to the public during the training camp.
Copper is shooting for a Nov. 14 opening for the public.
A-Basin, Keystone and Loveland are hoping to open this month. Last year A-Basin opened on Oct. 17, Keystone on Oct. 22 and Loveland on Oct. 30.
