Industry News
The winter stoke in Utah will have to remain patient as Park City Mountain, one of Utah’s most famous ski resorts, postponed its Opening Day due to a lack of early-season snowfall. The resort, which was originally scheduled to begin its season on November 21, has not yet announced a new opening date as it waits for natural snowfall and ideal conditions for snowmaking.
Park City Mountain now joins other Utah ski areas, including Deer Valley and Solitude, which were also forced to delay their opening dates.
“We’re all eager to get back on snow, but we’ve decided to hit the pause button on our target date of Nov. 21. Our snowmaking team is on standby and ready to roll once conditions line up,” the resort wrote in an Instagram post.
Temperatures have been uncharacteristically high in the Beehive State throughout November, leaving many resorts without natural snow or reliable snowmaking conditions. While temperatures at times have dipped below the ideal 28ºF for snowmaking, the warmer temperatures have prevented resorts like Park City Mountain from creating a solid base to build upon.
Utah’s winter situation stands in contrast with the East Coast, where colder temperatures have already brought substantial snowfall. Several resorts, such as Killington Resort, Vermont, and Sunday River, Maine, were able to open on their scheduled dates. This comes as a strange role reversal, with Utah resorts typically experiencing more winter-like conditions than Eastern resorts.
Skiers and snowboarders waiting for Park City Mountain will likely have to continue to remain patient, as weather forecasts predict temperatures to remain high and for storms to bring rainfall in the coming days. Temperatures are expected to dip into the low-20s only overnight, forcing snowmaking operations to run sporadically and making it difficult to prepare terrain for opening.
Park City Mountain operations will continue to keep all eyes on the forecast as they look to find another potential opening date. Park City Mountain and the other delayed Utah resorts emphasize that once conditions are ready, they are going to do everything they can to make winter happen. Until then, skiers and snowboarders who call Park City Mountain home will have to hold out until Utah’s trademark winter weather arrives.
