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A-Basin Will Open Thursday For 2015-2016 Ski Season

KEYSTONE, Colo. (CBS4)- Arapahoe Basin Ski Area will open for the season on Thursday, the same day as Loveland Ski Area.

Ticket, season pass and rental facilities open at 8 a.m. Thursday and the Black Mountain Express lift will begin running at 9 a.m.

After a late start to winter, A-Basin said recent cold temperatures and a combination of man-made and natural snow helped them open this week.

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A-basin snowmaking (credit: A-basin)

"The recent cold weather and currently snowy conditions allow for a tremendous start to the season at Arapahoe Basin," said Alan Henceroth, Arapahoe Basin Chief Operating Officer in a statement. "Despite what will be a later-than-average opening, both natural snow and our snowmaking efforts have given us a great snow surface to start with. We cannot wait to have our guests back to enjoy the mountain."

A-Basin will open the same day as Loveland Ski Area. The two ski areas are typically in a race to be the first to open in Colorado.

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Snowmaking at Loveland (credit: CBS)

Keystone and Wolf Creek are scheduled to open on Nov. 6. Copper Mountain was originally scheduled to open on Nov. 6 but pushed that date back to Nov. 13. Breckenridge is scheduled to open Nov. 13, Vail on Nov. 20 and Beaver Creek on Nov. 25.

LINK: Colorado Ski Resort Projected Opening Days

Ski Report

Check the status of trails & lifts at Colorado ski resorts in the CBSDenver.com Ski Report section.

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