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From the town of Winter Park, snow is visible on some of the nearby mountains on Friday. Many people in the area celebrated the recent snowfall that signifies the coming of winter.
Eli Pace / epace@skyhinews.com
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This photo taken at Winter Park Resort shows new snow coloring the nearby mountains along the Continental Divide on Friday.
Courtesy of Winter Park Resort
WINTER PARK — Friday wasn’t exactly a powder day in Grand County, but the first snowfall of the season hit some of the peaks along the Continental Divide.
“The Divide is looking beautiful and white,” a spokeswoman at Winter Park Resort commented as she noted the fresh snowfall didn’t go under the resort’s radar and shared a few photos.
The spokeswoman added that Winter Park Resort was seeing storm activity on the mountain on Friday with mixed precipitation. And with new snow on the mountains, the people at Winter Park Resort weren’t the only ones who took note.
“We did notice it too,” said Ryan Mowrey, who works as the rental manager in his family’s ski shop, Epic Mountain Sports. “We all ran outside and took pictures. Everyone is more excited than not even though (all of the store’s employees) were planning a bike ride after work.”
Overall, Mowrey said he’s noticed a shift in conversations at the family-owned store, moving from talk of mountain bikes to skis, boots and snowboards, as everyone gets geared up for the winter.
“They’re looking at what skis and boots that they want to get for the upcoming season so it’s justified, I think,” Mowrey said.
As for the upcoming ski and snowboarding season, Winter Park Resort is eyeing a Nov. 13 opening date, though that date has been bumped up or back in the past due to conditions.
“Of course, the disclaimer is that opening date is always dependent on weather and could be earlier or later based on the snow gods,” the resort spokeswoman said.
Grand County’s new snow comes as a sign of the changing seasons and perhaps an early blessing for eager winter enthusiasts, but it isn’t the first of the season in Colorado, as Arapahoe Basin Ski Area reported a dusting of “white stuff” on Aug. 22.
“And so it begins,” A-Basin COO Alan Henceroth announced on his blog, which was then posted on social media sites to a throng of happy comments and shares. “Not sure if it is snow, hail, sleet, slush or what, but the first white stuff of the season was high on the East Wall this morning.”