From the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Greg Ruland):
Get those skis and boards waxed, the season is about to start. Powderhorn Mountain Resort is making plans to open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, five days ahead of schedule thanks to the best early season snowfall in years, General Manager Sam Williams said.
“Mother Nature has blessed us with great early season conditions and cold temperatures,” Williams said.
News of the opening was first announced on the resort’s Facebook page on Monday, and news quickly spread via Twitter and other social media.
Persistent cold has allowed the resort to manufacture base conditions, but early precipitation is what will make the early opening possible, he said. More than 30 inches awaits skiers at the top of Grand Mesa, where wintertime is definitely underway, Williams said, adding that the base area could use more to be fully ready.
Help from Old Man Winter may arrive soon to take care of that.
“We got word from the National Weather Service that we’re probably going to receive another at least 12 inches of snow this week, which will give us the base we need to open,” he said.
That extra snow will allow the resort to open many of its runs earlier than usual, Williams said…
Across the state, several other resorts have already started their seasons, some just this week, including Telluride, Crested Butte, Purgatory, Steamboat and Aspen/Snowmass, according to Colorado Ski Country USA.
Sunlight Mountain Resort in Glenwood Springs is scheduled to open this weekend.