Two signs that ski season is fully underway: Vail’s Back Bowls and A-Basin’s Pallavicini are open

The opening of the Back Bowls -- Sun Up and Sun Down -- is the earliest since 2018.

Two signs that ski season is fully underway: Vail’s Back Bowls and A-Basin’s Pallavicini are open

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 OpenSnow reporting and forecasting service.

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.

Vail Resort opened two of the Back Bowls -- Sun Down (shown) and Sun Up -- on Thursday. The mountain in the distance is a fourteener, the Mount of the Holy Cross. (Max Ritter/Vail Mountain)
Vail Resort opened two of the Back Bowls — Sun Down (shown) and Sun Up — on Thursday. The mountain in the distance is a fourteener, the Mount of the Holy Cross. (Max Ritter/Vail Mountain)

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