COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — Ski season is right around the corner and the proof is in the pudding. Copper Mountain Resort brought out the snowmakers for the first time this year on Sunday.

“We start at the top of the mountain,” Copper Mountain Resort communications manager Stephanie Sweeney said. “Usually the trail Andy’s Encore and then we work our way down.”

At 12,300 feet near the summit, snowmakers were fired up for the first time this season.

“It is so exciting. That’s when everyone gets real excited for ski season,” Sweeney said.

The current conditions are still dry, and officials know it’s an uphill battle to get the slopes ready.

“There is a lot of prep involved. We do love our snowmakers. They put in a lot of hard work and they are very passionate about what they do,” Sweeney said.

It’s not a simple job. It takes the right conditions and planning during the offseason.

“The wet bulb temperature, which is the combination of the humidity and air temperature, when it’s below 28 degrees, that’s when it’s prime snowmaking temperatures. That’s when they get up here and turn on the guns,” Sweeney said.

Copper Mountain plans to open Nov. 6, and it said it could open based solely on the snowmakers but it would prefer if Mother Nature helped out.​

Loveland and Arapahoe Basin hope to open later this month.

Loveland’s website said crews are ready to fire up the snowmaking guns as soon as conditions are right. It said it looks like Wednesday night might be the night.