Arapahoe Basin’s latest closing day on record lasted through the summer

DENVER (KDVR) — Arapahoe Basin Ski Area doesn’t set closing dates ahead of the season, because it wants to stay open as late as possible.

This year, A-Basin plans to tentatively close on June 4, but there have been many years when the slopes have stayed open well into the summer.

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A-Basin closing dates throughout the years

A-Basin is notorious for being one of the last ski areas to close for the season. Throughout the years, the ski area has been open through May and June – and sometimes even as late as July and August.

In 2019, A-Basin was open on the Fourth of July, and many skiers were seen hitting the slopes in shorts.

However, A-Basin has surpassed the month of July when it comes to closing days. In 1995, A-Basin stayed open until August.

A-Basin’s latest closing date on record

Since the ski area’s opening in 1946, its latest closing date on record stands on Aug. 10, 1995, according to Shayna Silverman with Arapahoe Basin Ski Area.

While there aren’t many records on the latest closing date, Silverman spoke with some people who were at the mountain during that season.

During that time, the setup of the mountain was different.

“The Lenawee Lift (actually two Lenawee lifts ago) had a mid-station and they were only running people up the second half from the mid-station. From there, folks walked where they wanted to ski – something we probably wouldn’t get away with if we tried today,” said Silverman.

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The ski area was open because there was still snow at that time – but as far as snow goes, it wasn’t a particularly snowy year. It was right around average for snowfall for the season.

However, 1995 received most of its snow at the end of the season.

During 1995, April received a ton of snow, which totaled 17.2 inches for the month, according to the National Weather Service. This is almost 10 inches more than the average amount of snow in April, as the normal monthly accumulation hits 8.9 inches.

Even though this weekend has a chance of hitting 80 degrees, the summer weather isn’t here to stay just yet.

FOX31’s Pinpoint Weather meteorologists expect cooler temperatures for the end of May, which just might keep A-Basin open for longer.

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