Forget holiday shopping sales arriving early - ski resorts opening in early November is something that we can get behind! After the buzz of summer wears off and we've indulged in pumpkin spice, skiers and snowboarders begin searching the internet for ski resort opening dates. After more than six months of waiting, we'd be happy to kick off the ski season in early November, carving down a mountain before carving a turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving is typically the week that U.S. ski resorts begin opening for the season, just as many of them are this year. But some mountain resorts already have a head-start on natural snowfall and snowmaking, and are pushing for an opening day in the first half of November 2024.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed when you're working with mother nature, so every opening day is subject to change. And of course, ski resorts don't want to over-promise and under deliver - they want to keep their guests happy. Snowmaking teams at ski resorts across the country are using their expertise to determine the best days for snowmaking, based on weather temperatures and conditions. Each resort is working to open the mountain to guests as soon as possible.
These are the ski resorts that are aiming to open before Thanksgiving Day 2024
Vermont skiers might be able to claim the first chair of the season at Killington Resort. There were rumors that the resort would open November 1st, then November 8th, and now unconfirmed - keep an eye on this one! Okemo Mountain and Stowe Mountain are looking to open November 15th. Sugarbush and Jay peak are anticipating a November 22nd opening day.
Big Sky's opening day squeaks in the day before Thanksgiving, on November 27th for skiers and snowboarders in Montana.
The winter forecast is looking good for Colorado, with cold and snowy conditions expected in most parts of the state. Arapahoe Basin has already gotten natural snowfall, having skiers and snowboarders frothing for the resort to open. There were rumors the resort would open November 2nd, but no official announcements have been made. Breckenridge and Copper Mountain are expected to open November 8th. Vail, Winter Park, Loveland and Eldora mountain resorts are scheduled to open November 15th.
In Utah, skiers and snowboarders can visit Park City November 22nd, otherwise you'll need to wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy the slopes in the rest of the state. However, it's not all bad news, as Utah is expected to be one of the best states for snowfall this upcoming winter.
Idaho isn't forecasted to have a strong winter season for skiers and snowboarders in 2024-2025, but we will always hope for the best! Bogus Basin opens November 22nd, and their season passes are nearly sold out.
Washington state is forecasted to have a great winter, but residents will likely need to wait until after Thanksgiving Day to ski the local mountains.
Northern Arizona is forecasted to have a dry and snowy winter season, which is good news for skiers and snowboarders that visit Snowbowl. The resort is anticipating to open for the season on November 15th.
Nevada is expected to get decent snowfall this winter! In the Lake Tahoe area, Mt. Rose ski resort is pushing to open the mountain November 8th. Mt. Rose reaches 9,700 feet at the summit, and that extra elevation makes them one of the first mountains to get natural snowfall that sticks. On the south side of the lake, Heavenly's opening day is November 22nd.
In California, Mammoth Mountain has announced that chairlifts will start spinning November 15th. Northstar's opening day is November 22nd and Snow Summit will open November 23rd. Looking at the winter weather forecast, ski resorts around Lake Tahoe and Mammoth are on the border of wet and snowy conditions, so the weather could end up being a mixture of rain and snow storms.
2024-2025 will be a La Nina winter season
Especially this season, it makes sense for mountain resorts to be prepared to maximize weather conditions that allow for snowmaking, and be ready to open the resort to guests to make the most out of their ski season.
The 2024-2025 winter season will be a La Nina year, according to experts. What is a La Nina winter season? La Nina winter seasons are wetter and with milder temperatures than average winter seasons. This means more rain, less snow, and warmer than average temperatures in most parts of the U.S., November 2024 through March 2025, according to the National Weather Service.
The Old Farmer's Almanac has forecasted "a calmer, gentler winter," with the northern half of the country experiencing dry conditions with scattered snowy regions, and the southern part of the U.S. expected to have mild and wet weather.
States that are forecasted to have mild temperatures will be doing their snow dances in hopes that the temperatures will drop low enough for snowstorms instead of rain in the mountains. It looks like five states are forecasted to have a good ski season, while five others aren't looking strong.
It won't be a season of record-breaking snowfall
We're sorry to say that we can't expect to see a record-breaking snowy winter as we have in the past couple of years. Sigh. This might be welcomed news to some people, but not for skiers and snowboarders. As always, we'll make the most of the season because it's what we love to do, and skiing and snowboarding are good for our health, too.
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