US Resorts Ski into May as April Snowfall More than January and March Combined
The Palisades at Tahoe in California is the latest ski area on the US West to announce it is staying open later in the spring than planned, following ongoing heavy snowfall. It is now targeting May 15th as its closing day, have previously said May 1st.
The move comes as many ski areas in the Western US post more snowfall in April than in January to March combined. The snow is still dumping down, but unfortunately the majority have already closed.
For most the 21-22 began badly with little snowfall and warm weather before Christmas delaying opening, then there were huge record-breaking snowfalls between Christmas and new year, then very little snowfall at all from January to March inclusive. But April has been much more ‘wintery.’
The Palisades had earlier announced the unusually early, for them, May 1st closure date due to rapidly thawing cover and warned it might not make it to May 1st the way things were going. However it has had three feet (90cm) of snowfall in the past week and there’s much more in the forecast.
The weather extremes have led experts to warn of high avalanche danger in the back country and resorts are also warning of travel difficulties reaching them, but the weather is expected to clear, though stay cool, at the weekend.
Other ski areas that are still open and planning to stay open to at least the start of May include: Alyeska in Alaska; Homewood and Mammoth Mountain in California (pictured above last week); Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Loveland, Vail and Winter Park in Colorado; Mt Bachelor, Mt Hood Meadows and Timberline in Oregon; Snowbird and Solitude in Utah and Crystal Mountain and Steven’s Pass in Washington State.
North of the border Sunshine and Marmot Basin in Alberta and Grouse Mountain and Whistler Blackcomb in BC, Canada are open in to May.
