SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., Nov. 22, 2013—More than 50 areas in North America are now open, with dozens more opening this weekend, and with still more resorts set to open on or just after Thanksgiving.

Cold weather in the East and Midwest has provided good snowmaking conditions. In the West, snowmaking operations have been supplemented by storms in the past week that have dropped up to 30 inches of snow in Utah, up to 20 inches in Colorado, and 12 at Mammoth, Calif. All this has allowed many areas to open on or ahead of schedule.

Among those initiating operations for the pre-Thanksgiving weekend are Le Massif, Mont Ste.-Anne, and Bromont in Quebec; Granite Peak, Wisc., and Lutsen Mountains and Welch Village, Minn.; Stowe, Stratton, and Sugarbush, Vt., and Sugarloaf, Maine. Out West, Aspen Highlands, Vail, Park City, Northstar, and Grand Targhee highlight a long list of resorts that are starting up operations. In the Pacific Northwest, Mt. Bachelor, Ore., Mt. Baker, Wash., and Schweiter, Idaho, are among those initiating operations.

With continued cold weather and some snow in the forecast for the next week, the 2013-14 season is off to a good start.