Early Snowfall Blankets Ski Areas Nationwide

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members!
Download the app.

Flakes have been a’flying in the high country this week, with substantial snowfall recorded in the mountains of Colorado, Utah, Montana, and even New York. That, plus snowguns blowing at all possible hours, means that the 2023-’24 season is within a pole’s reach and the race to open has begun.

Here’s how it’s looking at a handful of ski areas across the U.S.

Gallery: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Ski Season

Keystone Resort, Colo.

Keystone doesn’t set an opening day months ahead of time like the other Vail Resorts ski areas, but instead plans to open as soon as conditions allow. With this week’s low temperatures, the snowmaking crew was able to get things up and running, and also enjoyed a little help from Üllr, who dropped a few inches on the resort, to boot.

Loveland Ski Area, Colo.

It was looking pretty wintry at Loveland this week thanks to the dual affects of the snowstorm and the snowguns.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. Nev.

OK, this isn’t natural snow, but the resort was able to start making snow at the summit over the last week thanks to cooling temps.

Vail Mountain, Colo.

Vail came out a winner in this early storm, notching between 13 and 15 inches across the slopes. That, plus snowmaking efforts, make for a mountain that seems pretty skiable from the looks of it. But we will wait … impatiently.

Copper Mountain, Colo.

Would you just at the perfect fall snow day colors? With peak autumn colors still hanging around the Colorado high country, this week’s storm is the icing on the cake for skiers eager to set an edge.

Alta Ski Area, Utah

This is from last week when a small system moved through the Wasatch, dropping a couple inches on Alta and its neighbors in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. 

Purgatory Mountain Resort, Colo.

A beautiful dusting over southern Colorado San Juan’s dressed the slopes of Purgatory in its winter whites, even if only for a little while.

Big Sky, Mont.

Big Sky is looking pretty after a new storm left a few inches in its wake this week. Bonus: This wasn’t even Big Sky’s first substantial snowfall of the season. That arrived in late September.

Whiteface Mountain, N.Y.

It’s early for an East Coast mountain to have seen its first snowfall, but Whiteface is living up to its name with an early blast of winter that dropped a few on the Lake Placid resort earlier this week.