Colorado Ski Resorts Begin Making Snow
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Just as the real stuff started falling this week, ski resorts in Colorado's high country started making their own.
At 2:30 a.m., crews at Copper Mountain turned the resort's snow-making guns on.
"We started snowmaking up high up on Copperopolis and Andy's Encore, getting ready for our October 31 opening day," Austyn Williams with the resort said.
As temperatures near the summit hit freezing, snow piles are starting to build.
"Overnight we got more than 2 inches that fell naturally before we turned on our guns," Williams said.
Like several other resorts, skiers will be on these runs before the general public.
"Before we open to the public, we actually open up the trails to ski camps in the early season, so that's a big reason why we have our snow making operations right now," she said.
Other resorts told CBS4 they're looking to start making snow now through Thursday, but they're all looking for the right conditions.
"It's all weather-dependent," Williams said. "We actually pulled the trigger late last night. our wet bulb hit 26 degrees and our snowmakers were right on it."
The hope is to make enough snow to have several runs open in just one month.
"The last time we were open on Halloween was the mid-80s -- the 85-86 season," Williams said.
Even though temperatures in Summit County are expected to warm up in the next few days, the mountain peaks are going to remain chilly.