More US Ski Resorts Open Early After Fresh Snow
16th November 2022
Last modified on November 26th, 2022
Heavy snow is falling in the USA with many resorts opening early to take advantage of conditions. We look at the state of play in North America as the season gets off to a great start. UPDATED
It has been one of the best starts to the season in recent memory in the USA with skiing now on offer in Colorado, California, Idaho, Utah and Washington.
In California Palisades Tahoe opened the 2022-2023 season early on Friday.
More than half a metre of snow has fallen on the upper mountain in the past 7-days.
Skiing and riding are scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.
Palisades Tahoe says the new season will feature a number of upgrades and improvements for skiers, riders, and visitors.
Those upgrades include the base to base gondola, which connects the two valleys of the resort that will open on December 17th.
Well over a dozen resorts are now open in the western USA with Brighton and Solitude in Utah opening on Thursday.
The latest to announce it is opening is Deer Valley in Utah that is on the Ikon Pass.
“Winter is here! With over 60 inches of natural snowfall, it’s the most pre-season snow we’ve had in over a decade and Mother Nature continues to support our snowmaking efforts with consistent cold temperatures,” said the resort in a statement.
🚨Opening Day Update 🚨 To celebrate historic early conditions, we are doing something “historic” ourselves and opening in November for the first time in decades on Tuesday, Nov. 29, with a special preview ski afternoon for Deer Valley season pass holders only on Monday, Nov. 28. pic.twitter.com/m4bksfgUbf
— Deer Valley Resort (@Deer_Valley) November 16, 2022
PlanetSKI last skied in Deer Valley in January 2020:
James Cove & 3 x Olympian Heidi Voelker in Deer Valley. Image © PlanetSKI
Deer Valley, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI
Park City Mountain that is next door to Deer Valley opened on Wednesday, November 16th – the earliest the mountain has opened since 1996.
Lifts and terrain are now open at both the Mountain Village and Canyons Village base areas.
Park City’s mountain operations teams have been making the most of cold temperatures and the first major snowstorms of the season since October 23rd.
Their work, combined with over 81 inches of natural snowfall from recent storms allowed for an early start to winter.
Sunshine, smiles, donuts and DJs – it’s been an awesome opening day here at Park City Mountain. pic.twitter.com/hHxC7Cx7z2
— Park City Mountain (@PCski) November 16, 2022
“When it comes to skiing and riding, we know every day on the mountain counts, and we are excited to welcome guests back earlier than planned for the 2022/23 winter season,” said Deirdra Walsh, Vice President and COO of Park City Mountain.
“I am so grateful to the entire Park City Mountain team who has shown incredible passion, commitment and hard work leading into the season.”
We have been following resort openings in the USA over recent weeks on PlanetSKI:
Many Ikon Pass resorts are now open across the USA and Canada:
Park City Mountain is on the rival, Epic Pass.
Other Epic Pass resorts have opened.
Northstar California, Heavenly Mountain Resort, and Kirkwood Mountain Resort in Lake Tahoe, California, kicked off the 2022-2023 winter season earlier than initially planned on Saturday, November 12th.
“Mother Nature delivered an earlier-than-expected mix of cold weather and snow, allowing for natural accumulation and supporting our excellent snowmaking teams to get the mountains read, ultimately allowing these resorts to welcome guests ahead of schedule,” said the resorts in a joint statement to PlanetSKI.
Northstar and Heavenly are opening six days earlier than anticipated, and Kirkwood is opening 20-days earlier than planned.
Back in Utah, Park City Mountain claims to be the largest resort in the United States – a 35-minute drive from Salt Lake City International Airport.
There are direct flights from the UK.
Flying into Salt Lake City, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI
Park City Mountain offers more than 7,300 acres of lift-accessible terrain for skiers and snowboarders.
The town is one of our favourite US ski towns.
Here’s why:
Here at PlanetSKI we will be updating news of resort openings in the USA in this article so do check back.
And if you want to know about Canada where snow is falling and resorts opening:
Lake Louise. Image © Ski Big Three
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