All Images: Courtesy of Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area announced the start of its snowmaking operations for the 2024/25 winter season. The resort fired up its snow guns for the first time this year as temperatures plunged last night and into the morning on October 8th. While it doesn’t look like much now, these early layers of artificial snow will keep the ground cool, allowing for rapid accumulation in the coming weeks.
Sitting at 10,780 feet above sea level, the base area of Abasin often sees snow before many of its neighboring resorts. With consistently cold fall temperatures, the talented mountain operations staff is usually able to open part of the mountain before Halloween. The first run to open is High Noon, which is where the team currently has snow guns blasting.
There’s a definite art to snowmaking. Communications Manager Shayna Silverman told us about the details when it comes to producing an early-season base at high elevations. She made it clear that it’s more about jumping in when you can this time of year, instead of waiting until you can blow snow 24/7. “Our snowmaking team is precise and ready to jump whenever the right conditions window presents itself,” Silverman said. “Prime snowmaking conditions are around 26 degrees wet-bulb, which takes humidity into account along with temperature.”
And like any art, there’s more thought behind it than just the final product. Silverman mentioned that, “Snowmaking is all about layering. This first layer is all about keeping the ground cool and wet for more snow to stick. We will open ASAP but that is totally dependent on Mother Nature. Last year, we opened on Oct. 29. So, keep looking out for colder temps and don’t forget to thank a snowmaker! Hopefully, more to come soon.”
We can expect increased snowmaking as temperatures are slated to drop in the high peaks of Summit County, Colorado going into the second half of October. For a detailed look at the lives of snowmakers, be sure to check out the new short film, “Gunrunners,” which shows the ins and outs of snowmaking at another legendary resort, Jackson Hole.
