Spring Bump: New Snow Helps Ski Areas Extend Seasons

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09 April 2015

Push to The Latest: No

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., April 9, 2015—New snow that swept California, Utah, and parts of the Northeast have allowed some ski areas to tack on a few more days to their seasons. Squaw Valley reset its closing date to April 19 thanks to 20 inches of new snow in the past week. The area has four lifts running on a 45-inch base, and officials said they might stay open longer if conditions permit.

Kirkwood had already cancelled its Banked Slalom event to be held April 11-12 due low snow before receiving 28 inches this week. New snow also fell at Heavenly and Northstar, allowing lifts to keep running until April 19.

Further up the coast, only three resorts are still open in the Northwest, including Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, according to SnoCountry.com. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) reported that the snowpack in Washington is at its lowest level on record. Statewide, snow is now at 22-percent of normal, and an April 1 reading showed just 15 inches at the snow gauge near Stevens Pass, the second lowest reading on record.

In Oregon, Mt. Bachelor, Mount Hood Meadows, and Timberline received 2 to 6 inches of new snow. Mount Hood Meadows is set to close April 12, but will offer skiers and riders a bonus weekend if conditions allow.

In the Northeast, resorts are reaping what may have been too much of a good thing for some areas earlier February. After several feet of snow and state-wide travel bans earlier this year, ski areas received about half a foot of new snow the past week, prompting season extensions.

In Massachusetts, Boston set a new record snowfall of 109 inches, beating a previous record set in 1872. Wachusett Mountain may extend its season beyond April 12, conditions permitting. Nashoba Valley is closed, but might opt to open on select weekends, according to information posted to its website.

In northern New England, Sugarloaf and Sunday River remain open on bases of 18 to 40 inches, with plans to close April 18 and May 2 respectively.

In Vermont, Jay Peak has received more than 350 inches of snow so far this season. It will close April 18 with the Kingdom Thaw Rail Jam. Stowe will close the same day with its Stowe Open terrain park event. Killington currently has a 30 to 40 inch base and plans to stay open until June if they can. In New Hampshire, Loon and Sunapee will both remain open until April 19.

Elsewhere, the season is winding down in typical fashion.

Ski areas in Utah received 6 to 15 inches this week. Eight ski areas remain open on base depths of 26 to 78 inches. Deer Valley is set to close Sunday, Canyons on April 12, and Park City and Alta will remain open until April 19. Snowbird plans to remain open until May 25.

In Colorado, most areas are scheduled to close by April 19. Loveland is set to close May 3, while Arapahoe Basin plans to keep spinning lifts until June 7, dependent on conditions.

Snowpack in Wyoming was also below average, but Jackson Hole recorded the second-highest visitation in the area's history with 545,000 skier visits, just short of its 2013-14 record of 563,000 visits. Officials credited early snow fall and increased air service. Grand Targhee, the only remaining open ski area in the state, plans to close April 19.