Even if the snow isn’t the best or there is only a fraction of the mountain open, people flock to the mountains on opening day all over the country as fall turns to winter and snow covers the slopes.
The ASO Mammoth team is one of the biggest offenders, but can you blame us? After all, Mammoth Mountain has one of the longest ski seasons out of any mountain in America so the winter bug never quite leaves our system. If you’re like us and have been counting days since the 2018/19 season ended, then check out our guide to mountains with the earliest opening days across the United States!
West
We admitted our bias earlier, but the fact is that Mammoth Mountain’s opening day of November 9th, 2019 is one of the earliest in the Western United States.
After last year’s record-breaking snow fall and several improvements made around the mountain during the offseason, Mammoth Mountain has moved opening day towards the beginning of November to keep the momentum going into 2020. Although the majority of the base will most likely be manmade snow centered around lodges with the upper slopes still closed, there is always a chance for natural snow. In fact, an early storm and cool temperatures brought the first snow of the fall on September 19th, so never say never for a storm to open up more of the mountain!
As if they’re competing with Mammoth, Mt. Rose is scheduled to open on October 26th, 2019, making for the earliest opening day in Mt. Rose’s 65-year history.
Even though winter season forecasts are predicting a warm and dry winter for most of the west coast, Mt. Rose is opening earlier than ever thanks to investing $2 million in 17 new snow-making machines in the offseason. Add in their base elevation of 8,260 feet and you can see why Mt. Rose is ready to be the first mountain open in the Tahoe area and one of the first on the west coast.
Midwest
There are plenty of options for skiing and snowboarding around Arapahoe Basin’s location in the Colorado Rockies, but none of them will be open as early as this snowy mountain.
Arapahoe Basin is located deep in the Colorado Rockies which gives it a higher base elevation than the other resorts nearby. In fact, thanks to the base elevation of 10,780 feet Arapahoe Basin has been blowing snow since the beginning of October in anticipation of a mid-October opening day. Although opening day has not been announced yet, last year the mountain opened on October 19th.
Like the other mountains on this list, Wolf Creek’s high base elevation of 10,300 ft allows the slopes to open earlier than most others in America.
Although most of the mountain will not be open by the November 1st, 2019 opening day, you can count on Wolf Creek living up to its reputation as having the most snow out of anywhere an Colorado by the time spring rolls around!
East
Maine’s Sunday River may not have the elevation or snowfall of other resorts out west, but thanks to excellent snowmaking equipment and cold weather you can bet on great snow here by the time opening day rolls around. In fact, they’ll guarantee that you’ll like the snow or you can come back another day.
Opening day has not been set yet, but judging by last year’s October 18th opening day you can bet on this resort being open by the start of November
Mountain bikers will have to trade their wheels out for skis when Vermont’s Killington Ski Resort opens on their projected date of October 18th, 2019!