Vail’s Back Bowls and Arapahoe Basin’s Pallavicini area opened for the season on Thursday, thanks to above-average snowfall as the heart of ski season approaches.
The opening of the Back Bowls — Sun Up and Sun Down — is the earliest since 2018 and gives Vail 2,000 acres of open terrain. The ski patrol is assessing terrain in the other five back bowls. Vail’s base is 38% above normal, according to the .
Nearly every Colorado ski resort has received above-average snowfall for this date, and 17 are standing at 30% above average or more. Monarch’s base depth is at 69 inches, more than twice average for this date.
Other signs of abundant snow: Breckenridge’s T-Bar opened last weekend, providing access to high-alpine terrain in Horseshoe Bowl, and North Peak is open at Keystone.
The upcoming weekend will be dry and sunny in the mountains, with the next storm due on Monday.
