First Snowmaking Effort Is Underway at Copper Mountain, Colorado

Now that Colorado ski areas have gotten their first dustings of snow for the season, and temperatures are staying cool enough, it's time to fire up the snow guns.

Copper Mountain, in Summit County, Colorado, turned on their snow guns for the first time this season in the early morning hours of October 1, 2025.

Overnight temperatures dropped low enough for snowmaking efforts to begin, which marks an unofficial start to the 2025/26 winter season. With forecasted lows ranging from low 30s to mid-high 20s, it should stay cold enough for manmade snow to keep sticking, and it's possible natural snow levels will drop to 9,300 ft. on Saturday, October 4.

Copper Mountain crews are expected to continue making snow at every opportunity over the next few weeks. Opening day is a little over a month away, on November 7, 2025.

Check out Copper's snowmaking guns roar to life in the video below.

Watch: Copper Mountain First Snowmaking Effort, October 1, 2025

This summer, Copper Mountain began a multi-year process to modernize their snowmaking systems. Upgrades were made across nine trails to enhance the mountain's ability to open more terrain reliably in the early season.

In part, these improvements were made in anticipation of the mountain welcoming athletes for alpine race training. Copper Mountain also took over an FIS World Cup stop for the 2025/26 season from Killington as the resort works to build its new Superstar Express lift.

The Stifel Copper Cup, which is an Audi FIS World Cup event, will take place over Thanksgiving weekend (November 27-30, 2025) and feature giant slalom and slalom races in the women's categories and super-G and GS for the men's.

Copper Mountain will also host the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, a FIS Freestyle World Cup halfpipe event from December 17-20, 2025.