, in north-central Colorado, became the first ski area in the country to open for the 2013-14 season on Sunday, four days earlier than last year.
Favorable weather conditions—cold nighttime temperatures and ideal humidity—allowed the resort to begin making snow on September 27. A-Basin either made or received natural snow during the days that followed, and by this weekend, an 18-inch base covered parts of the mountain.
“People are so excited,” A-Basin marketing director Leigh Hierholzer told the. “We’re honored to be the first in the state to get the season started.”
The 960-acre resort typically receives 350 inches of snow annually.