Skiers and snowboarders eagerly awaiting the start of the winter downhill season may finally be able to hit the slopes.
Purgatory Resort announced Tuesday that it plans to open Friday.
The resort had originally planned to open last weekend, but weeks of warm temperatures, high humidity and inconsistent overnight conditions prevented adequate snowmaking and natural accumulation.
Recent natural snowfall and “a massive around-the-clock effort” by snowmaking crews provided enough coverage to open limited terrain, according to the announcement on Purgatory’s “Purgspective: Operations and Insights” blog.
“Given the weather challenges this month, the conditions are genuinely impressive,” the post said.
More typical late-November temperatures are expected to return this weekend, along with the possibility for snow in the mountains.
Snowmaking will continue as conditions allow, and the resort plans to open more terrain as soon as possible, the post said. Purgatory said its next goal is to move toward the Demon area to provide top-to-bottom skiing.
Silverton Mountain’s opening day is set for Dec. 27.
The mountain, which focuses on off-piste terrain and peaks at roughly 12,000 feet – several thousand higher than Purgatory – has received several inches of snow in recent weeks and is expected to see temperatures drop to around 15 degrees this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The chance of show increases heading into Sunday, and some weather blogs predict at least several more inches.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
