The time has finally come for ski resort opening days and early-season turns. Skiing in November can sometimes mean solid snow conditions and an opportunity to dial in equipment and get those muscles ready for the season ahead. Early mornings provide the best opportunity to take advantage of fresh snow and crisply groomed trails, while warmer afternoons set the stage for sun-soaked après sessions. Much like spring skiing, the early-season slopes tend to be less crowded, and you should find plenty of lodging choices and easy access to restaurants and nightlife.
This prelude is arguably the most anticipated of all, as skiers and riders yearn to get to the mountains after months without snow.
Download the OnTheSnow app on Google Play or on the App Store to stay up to date on conditions, weather, projected opening dates, terrain/lift statuses, and more. Be sure to leave a review after you ski to help your fellow skiers and riders.
Long-Range Winter Forecast
OnTheSnow.com’s meteorologist, Chris Tomer, in his long-range winter forecast, gave an outlook of what this winter may have in store for North America:
“La Niña is now predicted to return for the 2024/25 ski season. What we often see with La Niña, and the orientation of the jet stream, is that it lends itself naturally to northwest flow setups. This can bring significant snowfall out West, often in regions like the Tetons and Western Colorado. It can also bring significant snowfall to Utah’s Wasatch Range. While this will change day-to-day and week-to-week, my long-range winter forecast for North America favors the northern states out West.”
Keep in mind that early openings won’t mean access to all of the ski resort’s terrain. Nevertheless, there should be good ribbons of snow and a solid base that just keeps expanding as the temperatures allow for consistent snowmaking and some lucky early snows. Several ski areas will do their best to get you on skis or your board as early as Halloween, which usually means (barring warm spells) that you can really count on the season getting underway in November. Still, take these opening dates as educated guesses and remember the old adage about the “best-laid plans.” Always check our website or app before you head for the hills.
Where to ski in November
November ski resort openings tend to slide in from the second weekend of November through Thanksgiving weekend and beyond. Nonetheless, there are always a few that seem to open by around Halloween. On the East Coast, Ski Ward in Massachusetts became the first North America ski area to open for the 2024-25 season on October 21. The terrain was very limited though, as Ski Ward really planned on increasing its programming and terrain in early November.
Wolf Creek was the first ski resort out West to start spinning lifts. After an impressive early October storm that dropped more than 25 inches of snow, the Colorado ski resort opened on October 22. Historically, Arapahoe Basin is one of the first ski resorts to open in Colorado, and it continued that tradition by opening over the first weekend of November. Keystone also opened the first weekend of November with more than two miles of accessible terrain.
» View Arapahoe Lodging Options & Keystone Lodging Options
Breckenridge and Copper are set to open mid-month on November 8, followed by Loveland, Vail, Eldora, and Winter Park — all set to open before Thanksgiving as well. In the neighboring state of Utah, Brian Head in Southwestern Utah is expected to open first on November 8. Shortly after will be Alta Ski Area, Park City, and Solitude opening the weekend of November 22. In Wyoming, Grand Targhee is expected to be the first Wyoming ski resort to open, with a planned opening of November 22.
» View Breckenridge Lodging Options, Vail Lodging Options & Park City Lodging Options
Don’t sleep on New Mexico. Pajarito announced that they would be opening a few weeks early, in early November, after some early-season snow dumps. They’ll be open just weekends at first.
Further west, Mammoth Mountain in California is expected to be one of the first California ski resorts to start spinning its lifts, with a planned opening of November 15. In Idaho, Schweitzer Mountain and Bogus Basin are scheduled to open on November 22 and the legendary Sun Valley will open the weekend after on November 28. Other ski resorts in the far west with projected opening dates before Thanksgiving include Heavenly, Northstar California, Palisades Tahoe, Mission Ridge, and Timberline Lodge. Timberline Lodge actually had a surprise sneak peek preview over the first weekend of November. Stay tuned on our app or website for when Timberline, and others, will be open for daily operations.
» View Mammoth Lodging Options, Heavenly Lodging Options & Palisades Tahoe Lodging Options
In Vermont, Killington Resort is expected to be the first New England ski resort to open with an anticipated opening in early November. The Beast of the East usually opens early to host the women’s FIS Alpine World Cup during Thanksgiving weekend. It will be closely followed by Stowe Mountain Resort and Sunday River in Maine opening on November 15. In New York and New Hampshire, Hunter Mountain, Loon Mountain and Wildcat are expected to open around November 22.
» View Killington Lodging Options, Stowe Lodging Options & Loon Lodging Options
In Canada, SkiBig3’s trifecta of resorts—Lake Louise, Sunshine, and Mt. Norquay—is expected to open in early November. are projected to open on November 8, with Mt. Norquay getting an early jump on things and opening the weekend prior on November 2. These Alberta resorts often open in November with decent early-season conditions. Note that weather and conditions can change quickly, especially early in the season, so check out resorts’ social media feeds and newsletters for their latest updates. You can see a full list of North American projected opening dates here.
» View Banff Lodging Options
Do you have early-season/opening-day pics to share, or updates to resort opening dates? Email them to snowproducers@mountainnews.com or send them to us on Instagram.
Header image: ©Beaver Creek / Vail Resorts
December 04, 2024
