Loveland joins Copper with snowmaking operations; A-Basin still on hold

Colder temps on tap for weekend and beyond

Loveland Ski Area jumped into the snowmaking fray early Thursday morning, joining Copper Mountain as the only two Colorado ski areas that have commenced artificial snow production operations so far this season.

“The temperatures finally dropped for us last night and we had a productive first night of snowmaking,” said Bobby Babeon, Loveland’s trail maintenance and snowmaking manager. “We hoped to get things started last week, but the weather didn't cooperate. The good news is the forecast looks great, and we are still on track for a mid-October opening.”

Loveland's snowmaking crew will work its way down Catwalk, Mambo, and Homerun for opening day. The three trails form a top-to-bottom run that’s more than a mile long and drops nearly 1,000 vertical feet.

It typically takes about two weeks for Loveland's snowmaking team to cover the opening-day run with an 18-inch base and tree-to-tree coverage. Loveland started making snow on Oct. 6 last season and opened for the season on Oct.14.

“It has been a long summer, and the snow that fell last week really got everyone excited about the winter,’ Loveland marketing director John Sellers said. “The buzz of the snow guns around the area is a welcomed sign that another ski season is right around the corner.”

Arapahoe Basin, which jockeys with Loveland for first-to-open bragging rights each season, wasn’t quite ready to pull the trigger.

“Not quite what we were looking for,” A-Basin COO Alan Henceroth wrote on his blog Thursday morning. “Tonight looks better. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday look really good for snowmaking -- maybe even down in the teens for temps. We will keep you posted.”

An upslope storm is forecast for Colorado’s Front Range Friday night into Saturday, and while there is not much expectation for significant snowfall anywhere in the state, overnight temperatures should be ideal for snowmaking throughout the weekend and into next week.

Copper Mountain started making snow Tuesday morning.

	24hr snow	mid dpth	snow cond.
A-Basin	n/a	n/a
Aspen	n/a	n/a	closed
BC	n/a	n/a	closed
Breckenridge	n/a	n/a	closed
Buttermilk	n/a	n/a	closed
Copper	n/a	n/a	closed
Crest. Butte	n/a	n/a	closed
Eldora	n/a	n/a	closed
Heavenly	n/a	n/a	closed
Highlands	n/a	n/a
Howelsen	n/a	n/a	closed
Keystone	n/a	n/a	closed
Kirkwood	n/a	n/a	closed
Loveland	n/a	n/a
Monarch	n/a	n/a	closed
Northstar	n/a	n/a	closed
Powderhorn	n/a	n/a	closed
Purgatory	n/a	n/a	closed
Silverton	n/a	n/a	closed
Ski Cooper	n/a	n/a	closed
Ski Granby	n/a	n/a	closed
Snowmass	n/a	n/a	closed
Steamboat	n/a	n/a	closed
Sunlight	n/a	n/a	closed
Telluride	n/a	n/a	closed
Vail	n/a	n/a	closed
WinterPark	n/a	n/a	closed
Wolf Creek	n/a	n/a	closed
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