Arizona’s Snowbowl is the first resort to make artificial snow for this upcoming winter, according to AZFamily.com, the website of two Arizona television stations.
Snowbowl fired up its snow-making machines Saturday night, and they ran until Monday morning. The central Arizona resort is now blanketed with snow, more than a month and a half ahead of its Nov. 10 opening date.
Here are some photos of the resort's early white stuff:
https://twitter.com/AZSnowbowl/status/910964948922241024Located near Flagstaff, Snowbowl was founded in 1938 and is one of the oldest ski resorts in the country. It doesn't often lay out snow this early.
“There is a competitive background to firing the snow-making machines this early in the year. Snowbowl competes against other skiing areas in the United States to become the first to lay down snow on the slopes,” according to AZFamily.com.
Colorado ski parks often win the first-snow competition. This is the first year Snowbowl, which is in its 80th year, took the top prize.
Utah's ski season began last year on Nov. 25.
Beehive State resorts may be on track for November openings this year, as well. Some real snow has fallen the past two weeks, prompting road officials to call out snowplows to clear areas in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons on Sunday, according to the Deseret News.
Solitude Ski Resort reported a foot of real snow on Sunday.
On Sept. 15, snow fell around the Snowbird and Solitude resorts, as well as through Guardsman Pass in Park City, according to the Deseret News.
Montana, Wyoming and Idaho all received some snow that week, too.