Several ski resorts push back opening day because of warm weather

WINTER PARK, Colo.- Pay attention if you’re ready for ski and ride season!

Lifts are close to opening all over Colorado, but the warm weather in the metro and the mountains is preventing several resorts from opening up on time.

“Always want to hope that Mother Nature will give us a hand," said Steve Herlbert, spokesperson for Winter Park Resorts. "Our snowmaking is great and our snowmaking system is terrific and it enables us to really get open as early as we are, but any time we can get that little boost from Mother Nature, we're always appreciative."

Most resorts are making snow as fast as they can, when they can, but therein lies the problem.

The weather this fall has been very warm so snow guns set up on runs all over the state are going days without blowing snow. Yet, snowmaking crews stand ready.

“This time of year, they are on standby like a fire house 24/7. Whenever the temperatures hit that sweet spot, they don't waste a second. They're out here and they're firing up these guns and they're getting as much snow blown as they possibly can," said Herlbert.

So here's the outlook:

Arapahoe Basin has been open for two weeks with one lift and two adjoining runs open.

Winter Park is slated to open November 16.

Keystone pushed their opening date back and is now scheduled to open Friday, November 11, along with Breckenridge and Eldora.

And spots like Wolf Creek are simply updating their website with snowfall totals, hoping more snow is on the way.

Denver7 Meteorologist Stacey Donaldson says in an La Nina year, states north of Colorado will see most of the snow, so Colorado will likely see less than El Nino years.

But resorts aren’t concerned.

“November is never a barometer, good or bad, of what the ski season is going to be like. Winter will come and ski season will get here and it'll be great," said Herlbert.