Little Cottonwood Canyon — The storm that Utah skiers and riders have been waiting for arrived… on April 26th.
Jokes aside, Utah has actually seen a decent amount of snow this month after what was arguably its worst winter ever. The survivors of Utah’s catastrophic winter, Alta, Brighton, Brian Head, Snowbird, and Solitude, were able to get to respectable snow totals. Alta concluded its season on April 26th, capped by a 14-inch powder day. Solitude also closed for the season on Sunday, although it saw less snow. This leaves Brian Head, Brighton, and Snowbird, but only one of them remains open for daily operations.
Snowbird concluded daily operations yesterday (April 26th), with intentions to reopen on May 1st-3rd. The hours have also shifted, with the lifts now spinning from 8 am to 2 pm. This means that it’s not open today, which is technically a powder day.
Some locals were disappointed by the decision because Utah is currently going through a powder cycle, which has been few and far between. However, the other side of this is that these storms vary by elevation, meaning the base can be rough, with upper elevations being better. Alta skiers reported nice skiing up top yesterday, with the lower mountain being funky.
Here’s how Snowbird responded to the disappointed skiers and riders:
“We fully understand frustrations around our transition to weekends-only skiing and in an average winter we’d expect daily operations to last a few more weeks. This season has not been the usual case. Though upper mountain coverage and ski quality remains strong, lower trails to the base are getting harder to maintain. Utah resorts began closing this year months earlier than average, but we are using this mid-week closure to help our on-mountain teams preserve and move snow so we can extend our season as long as possible. We’re proud of how far we’ve been able to maintain daily operations and look forward to providing weekend skiing as far out as possible.”
While big tallies were originally forecasted, Snowbird has only recorded 12 inches in the past 48 hours. Typically, late-season storms in Utah can overpromise, yet underdeliver. So while skiers do have some right to be annoyed, Snowbird probably made the right call. Also, the Utah ski resort wasn’t the first, and won’t be the last, to commit the “closing on a powder day” offense.
Recent History of Snowbird’s Spring Operations
Snowbird’s spring schedule has become more finicky in recent years. Occasionally reaching July 4th, closing on deep years, it hasn’t gotten close to that date recently. There are various reasons for this, which include construction projects and a changing climate. The snowpack is also worsened by the Great Salt Lake. An increasing amount of dust is settling onto the white stuff, accelerating the melt. Ultimately, this means the days of lift-served July skiing in Utah could be behind us.
If you’re looking to ski the powder today, there’s one place left to go: Brighton Resort. That Utah ski resort will be open daily through May 3rd.
Image/Video Credits: Snowbird, Brighton Resort
