Industry News
A wind chill value of -70ºF was recorded near West Glacier, MT yesterday, causing a number of ski resorts to suspend operations for the day. At those life-threatening temperatures, cold and frostbite could occur in minutes.
Montana resorts closed today (Friday 2/12/21) due to extreme cold:
- Showdown Montana
- Great Divide
- Discovery Ski Area
- Teton Pass Ski Area
- Turner Mountain
- Blacktail
- Whitefish (night skiing only)
Although -70º was the low, wind chills remained between -40º and -60º throughout the day, and will continue into the weekend.
10AM UPDATE: We have made the decision to close for the remainder of the day. If you purchased lift tickets for today, please reach out to the ticket office and they will be able to roll over your visit to another day. pic.twitter.com/kIXSlnBIxv
— Red Lodge Mountain (@RedLodgeMntn) February 11, 2021
Both Showdown Montana and Red Lodge Mountain ski resorts announced their closures on social media. Whitefish Mountain Resort closed its upper mountain lifts, and will not be opening for night skiing tonight.
Turner Mountain, in the northwest of the state, will be closed today, as will Teton Pass Ski Area, Discovery Ski Area, Great Divide, Showdown Montana, and Blacktail.
The extreme cold is the result of an Arctic airmass and is the coldest air for two-years. Snow is expected today and tomorrow, and temperatures will gradually increase as the weekend progresses.
