Just because we’re officially in late April and nearly half way through spring doesn’t mean the ski season is over. There are plenty of ski resorts and ski areas across the United States that are still operating, some of which are on full-blown spring skiing mode and others that are currently seeing massive snowfalls. If you’re trying to plan a weekend ski getaway for Easter, here’s a comprehensive list of our top places to ski in the United States this weekend.
Colorado
If you’re hoping to take advantage of the most recent snowfalls, Colorado is where you should be heading. Starting Thursday night and running into Saturday, several mountains in Colorado have seen and will continue to see large amounts of snow touching down. Loveland Ski Area saw 11 inches in the last 24 hours as of this morning and lots more has come down throughout the day.
Arapahoe Basin, Winter Park, Copper Mountain, and Breckenridge are all still operating and currently seeing some serious snowfall, and there are plenty more resorts in the state running lifts this weekend. Aspen Mountain, Eldora, Purgatory Resort, Snowmass, Steamboat, and Vail are all celebrating their closing day on Sunday, April 20, with parties and pond skims at many of them.
Deepest Snow Depths
While Colorado is one of very few areas in the United States that’s actually seeing some major snowfall, there are plenty of other ski resorts that have raked in massive totals throughout the season and now sit with a robust snow depth. Alyeska in Alaska is number 1 on that list with a depth of 204 inches at the top of the mountain and 104 inches int he middle of the mountain.
Beyond Alaska, it’s the Pacific Northwest that dominates the list. Mt. Hood Meadows has a base depth of 126 inches, Mt. Baker is celebrating closing weekend with a snowbase of 138 inches at Heather Meadows and 158 inches at Pan Dome, and Timberline Lodge has a base depth of 151 inches. In California, Palisades Tahoe has a base depth of 136 inches and Sugarbowl has a summit base depth of 133 inches. In Utah, Alta is living up to its legacy with a base depth of 130 inches.
Of course the base depth doesn’t necessarily mean the conditions will be perfect, but it does mean there’s a good chance you won’t be ripping up your skis on some nice gravel.
Top Spring Skiing Destinations
Beyond the locations with the deepest snow depths or the places with the most recent snowfall, there are several areas that stand out for their spring skiing energy alone. Some of our favorite spring skiing destinations have already been mentioned (Arapahoe Basin, Palisades Tahoe), but there are more than are definitely worth a visit. Mammoth Mountain is celebrating Easter Weekend with live music, an Après Party on Friday and Saturday, their Pond Skim on Sunday, and Easter specific festivities.
Plenty of ski areas are still open in New England, but our two picks for the top spring skiing destinations out there are Sugarloaf and Killington. With 43 trails still open and 7 inches of new snow in the past 7 days, Sugarloaf is bound to have an epic weekend. Pond skimming is going down between 9am-2pm on Saturday, while Sunday will bring a Passholder BBQ and a terrain park jam. At Killington, 10 inches of snow in the past 7 days mean their legendary spring bump runs are sure to be a blast. This weekend comes with live music, a seasonpass holder appreciation party, and an easter egg hunt.
Of course there are plenty of other ski resorts open across the United States offering top-notch skiing and snowboarding this weekend, so don’t be offended if your favorite mountain didn’t make this list. It probably deserves to be on here. But if you’re looking for our top picks, now you have them.
