They're Skiing At Snowbird. Other Resorts Move Up Opening Dates

Snowbird opened for skiing today at 9 am - the second earliest opening in the resort's history.

Brighton will open on Nov 12, and Solitude will open on Nov 14. Most resorts will be open by Thanksgiving weekend.

The early openings were made possible by last weekend's winter-like snowstorm, and more snow is expected this weekend. The natural stuff will be supplemented by man made snow.

msnbc.com has this new report about Utah resorts opening early. Below are excerpts.

Mother Nature is smiling on Utah's tourism industry.

Chilly temperatures and a few early snowstorms are allowing ski resorts to open earlier than usual this season, with the first Utah opening Friday.

"There are a lot of things that we can't control like the economy and weather, but Mother Nature is getting us off to a really nice start," he said. "Right now, everybody is just going berserk in getting ready to go skiing. Our phones are ringing and everybody's excited."

Utah's main competitor in the winter sports industry is Colorado, which will have four resorts open this weekend. Utah's commercials highlight one advantage the state has over its competitor to the east - some resorts are as close as a 30-minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City.

By comparison, many of Colorado's resorts require are about a two-hour drive from Denver International Airport.

Read the complete report.