Rain moved across Northern California on Thursday, and while the Sierra Nevada saw its fair share of it, snow was noticeably absent.

Now, ski resorts are hoping this early round of wet weather sets the stage for colder temperatures in the coming days so they can finally kick off their seasons.

Resorts across the Sierra are targeting opening days within the next few weeks, but only if Mother Nature cooperates.

"It may look calm right now, but the race is on for opening day," said Tucker Norred, marketing director at Boreal Mountain Resort.

Sugar Bowl is aiming to open on November 28, the day after Thanksgiving. Boreal's projected date is even earlier, November 21. To make those timelines happen, resorts need either fresh snowfall or temperatures cold enough to fire up the snow guns.

"Twenty-eight degrees is a good temperature for us," Norred said. "Anything lower than that is good for us as well."

That drop in temperatures may be coming soon. Resorts say the next round of cold weather could be their green light to begin making snow around the clock.

"Whenever we start to get these unsettled weather patterns, we get really excited about winter coming in full force," said Maggie Eshbaugh, marketing manager at Sugar Bowl.

Even Thursday's rain is helping set the stage. Resort crews say it's cooling the ground, something that makes man-made snow accumulate faster once snowmaking begins.

"Even though it's not snow, it's making the ground cold," Norred said. "So when we start making snow, it'll be able to stack up as quickly as possible."

The big question now: who will be the first to open? Skiers and snowboarders will have to wait and watch how Sierra temperatures trend over the next week.