Jay Peak, VT ski resort will close for the season tomorrow, March 14th 2020, due to the Coronavirus.

Jay Peak gets more snow than any other east coast ski resort.

Other USA Ski Resorts Affected by Coronavirus:

• Taos, NM will close early for the season on March 22nd 2020, due to Coronavirus.
• Berkshire East, MA has closed due to Coronavirus.
• Catamount, MA/NY has closed due to Coronavirus.
• Jackson Hole, UT has closed it’s tram due to Coronavirus.
• Snowbird, URT has closed it’s tram due to Coronavirus.

Jay Peak Press Release:

FRIDAY MARCH 13 AT 6:42 PM

Dear Jay Peakers

I want to personally give you an update regarding operations, forward looking plans and an update regarding our staff and team-members.

Effective the end of business operations, 4:00 PM, on Saturday March 14th, we will be closing winter operations for the 2019-2020 season.  Operations tomorrow, Saturday, March 14th will be limited to skiing and snowboarding via our entire lift system (so long as the wind allows for it, minus our Aerial Tram which has shut down for the season), and limited food and beverage operations. Check back with us for trail and conditions updates tomorrow morning.

Our Pumphouse Indoor Waterpark, Clips and Reels indoor Climbing Gym, Taiga Spa, Jay Peak Ski and Ride School and all regularly scheduled après ski and concert events will close at the end of business operations this evening, March 13^th.

This is obviously a difficult decision for us and one that we have not made without hours and days of deliberation and predicated on hourly updates from federal agencies, state offices and international health organizations.  At our core, and despite all that we’ve built in and around us over the past decade, we are a mountain community.  And we all cherish that unchangeable part of us-both in serving that index of our guests and enjoying the mountain ourselves.  But, even before that, we are an employer and a member of both a closer-in and much broader community of friends, neighbors, family and guests.  And we have an obligation to those segments, and their safety, above anything else.

The most recent tipping point for us was the announcement by the Quebec government to limit entry into the United States and similar restrictions placed on travelers from our Ontario markets. Given that we are about to welcome thousands of Ontario guests onto our campus, most of them returning friends and repeat vacationers, saying we are disappointed feels like the understatement of the century.  It goes without saying that we will be offering either full refunds or we will push vacations to next year and lock in this year’s rate so there is no additional cost to come and visit us next season.  Our Reservation line at 800-451-4449 will be available 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist you.  We will do everything in our power to leave you as happy as possible given the circumstances.

Our current plan is to keep our entire Jay Peak Housekeeping and Janitorial Teams here on campus through the shutdown to deep clean the entire campus including all 850 of our rooms, condos and hotels.  A deep cleaning of our Pumphouse Indoor Waterpark.  And all indoor attractions, common areas, base lodges and restaurants.  Our intention is to reopen for the summer season on Friday May 1^st with the reopening of our Pumphouse Indoor Waterpark.  On May 16^th we’ll be celebrating the opening of our Jay Peak Championship Golf Course.  And other attractions, restaurants and facilities will have staggered openings between the 1^st and 16^th that you can see online at jaypeakresort.com when the dates become more definitive.

As to our staff which has worked tirelessly both long-term to deliver a great season despite the difficulties, and short term to try and provide what product we could, we will be integrating the following:

• Allowing hourly year-round employees to file for short term unemployment and then making up the difference between the State compensation and their total rate of pay to keep them whole through this shut down period.
• Any members of our team who are in long-term employee housing will have their rent forgiven throughout this temporary shutdown.
• Employees receiving standard benefits including the accrual of vacation time will continue to do so throughout the period regardless of employment status.
• For those participating in the resort’s 401k program, we will continue with our resort match throughout the temporary shutdown.
• We will be operating our outdoor pizza oven intermittently throughout the shutdown period to feed our team members to-go pizzas as well as provide them with cleaning and disinfectant products for their homes.

While this is certainly a difficult time within the Jay Peak family of employees, community members and guests, we felt it was the most prudent thing to do given the evolving climate and the changing protocols and restrictions relating to travel. Added to the reality that the virus, even as unsure as we are about its net total impact, is likely not done expanding, we needed to act in the best interests of the people that have long supported our business.

We strongly believe that this, too, shall pass and when it does, we will be here to provide the backdrop for future vacations and experiences.  We are sincerely sorry for this and we will be, without question, looking forward to seeing you on campus this summer.

Thank you

Steve Wright

President/General Manager

Jay Peak Resort