Park City, Utah — Utah saw snow to start this week, with the big winners of the cycle being Alta and Snowbird. Unfortunately, lower-elevation ski resorts like Deer Valley and Park City didn’t see as much. That’s where snowmakers come into play.
This week, Deer Valley Resort began snowmaking operations for the 2026-27 season. In the video below, they show crews getting the snow guns cranking in the early morning hours.
They now have the support of a new 10-million-gallon snowmaking reservoir, over 1,200 new snow guns, several new pump houses, and around 350,000 feet of new snowmaking pipe. The move supports the new East Village, which has struggled to maintain snowpack during low-snow winters.
The new 10-million-gallon snowmaking reservoir will help supply the Summit Pump House with 10,000 gallons per minute for the East Side. Add in the 10,000 gallons per minute from the Ventana pump house, and Deer Valley will now be able to pump 20,000 gallons per minute across the East Side. The existing infrastructure prior to the expansion wasn’t bad either.
Deer Valley’s projected opening date is December 4th for season passholders, then for everybody (sans snowboarders) on December 5th.
About Deer Valley’s Expansion
In what they’re calling the biggest terrain expansion in ski industry history, the East Village expansion has added a new base area to the Utah ski resort.
Over the first few years, the resort added around 100 new trails, a large run extension, 9 new chairlifts, a multi-stage gondola, and more beginner surface lifts. As mentioned above, it’s supported by North America’s most advanced snowmaking system. I mean, it’s no Pats Peak, but Deer Valley’s snowmaking system is pretty good.
This upcoming winter will see the next phase of the expansion. 200 acres of terrain will be added on Hail Peak. A new detachable high-speed quad chairlift will serve the seven new runs.
Two lodges are currently being built, plus lots of development at the East Village. The next area to watch is called South Peak, which will add more advanced and expert terrain to the resort.
Image/Video Credits: Deer Valley Resort
