Our friends at Sunday River became the first resort in the country to fire up the guns and begin making snow this season. Early this morning, at 2 a.m. local time, temperatures dropped to an unseasonably low of 29 degrees Fahrenheit, and the resort was able to test out its entire system. While the event was merely a test, the cold temperatures and resort prep work mean that ski season is right around the corner.

Photo: Sunday River.

Press Release, Sunday River:

Newry, Maine: Thanks to unseasonably chilly, 29-degree air (about 15 degrees colder than normal at this time of year) Sunday River Resort was able to complete a full test of its snowmaking system this morning.

Last night and early this morning, 32 guns successfully dusted the T2 trail on Locke Mountain with the 2014-15 season’s first snow.

Sunday River has used part of its $5 million capital investment package from parent company Boyne Resorts and an Efficiency Maine grant to procure 172 new, energy-efficient snowguns this season.

Sunday River’s snowmaking system is the most advanced in the East. The latest additions to the arsenal include 117 HKD Impulse Tower Guns, 50 HKD Method Park Guns, and five Snow Logic Tower Guns. The resort owns and operates a total of 1,900 snowguns, which allow it to cover 95 percent of its 135 trails when Nature’s feeling a little unindustrious.

“Snowmaking is a priority at Sunday River,” says Resort President and General Manager Dana Bullen. “We test our system at the first opportunity we have so that we know we’ll be ready to start making snow full-time and open for skiing and snowboarding as soon as the weather allows. Our season passholders and guests expect it from us, and we always aim to deliver.”

Last year, Sunday River wasn’t able to test its snowmaking system until the second week of October, so this is a major coup. Though the resort has not yet set an opening date, this test does give Sunday River’s legendary snowmakers the okay to crank the system at full capacity once the temperature is consistently cool enough. Typically, snowmaking requires sustained temperatures between 26–30 degrees overnight.

If all of this talk of snow has you looking forward to winter getaways (as it well should), remember to take advantage of Sunday River’s Lowest Price Guarantee on all lodging packages, as long as they’re booked by October 15, 2014. You can also purchase a 2014-15 New England Pass before October 13, 2014 to save and ski all season long at Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Loon Mountain.

For more information on Sunday River’s snowmaking today, including high-resolution images and b-roll footage, visit https://www.sundayriver.com/media-center.