On Monday, Alta commemorated their historic 2022-23 season by posting the first part of a video series featuring each month from that insane winter. It’s a good distraction from the start of this season, which hasn’t been as snowy.
Alta Ski Area announced on Saturday that they won’t be opening due to a lack of snow. Alta’s season total so far is 33″, which is a bit underwhelming. Alta does have snowmaking capabilities, but they haven’t had a big enough window to not have a thin base cover. According to Alta on Saturday, they’re going to need 8-10 more days of snowmaking or two feet of the real stuff to open. Alta will get a bit of snow later this week, but it doesn’t appear cool enough weather to consistently produce man-made snow. In the meantime, uphill travel is permitted, but it should be noted that backcountry conditions and hazards exist.
I’m not too worried about Alta’s prospects this winter. Even in subpar winter, they get their terrain open with sufficient cover without much issue. I’m more worried about what this slow start means for the Great Salt Lake. The saltwater lake is fed by snowmelt from the Cottonwoods, so a poor winter could further endanger it.
We’ll keep you posted on when Alta and other Utah ski areas/resorts open for the season.
Image/Video Credits: Alta Ski Area, John Shafer
