North America Weekly Roundup #238

Late-Season Skiing Continues: North American Resorts Extend Operations Amidst Recent Snowfall

• Late-season skiing opportunities: Approximately 30 ski areas remain open across North America, with many planning to operate until at least May 1st, offering spring skiing conditions.
• Varied weather conditions: While some regions experience mostly sunny weather and thawing conditions, others, like the Rockies and some parts of Canada, have seen fresh snowfall, providing mid-April powder days.
• Extended season in selected areas: Some resorts, such as Snowbird, Copper Mountain, and several in California and Oregon, plan to remain open through May, extending the ski season.

USA & CANADA

NORTH AMERICA INTRO

We're down to about 30 ski areas left operating for the final weekend of April with most planning to keep open at least to May 1st. The majority of those soldiering on into the latter half of spring are in Alberta, California, Colorado and Utah with the remainder divided up between about 10 states and provinces. The past week has almost inevitably seen gradually rising temperatures, plenty of sunshine and an ongoing thaw, but we've also had several fronts of varying levels of intensity pass across the continent, bringing accumulations of up to a foot (30cm) in 24 hours delivering some mid-April powder days for some lucky late-season skiers and riders.

ROCKIES REPORT

Although we’ve seen temperatures reach the low 50s Fahrenheit again over the past week and plenty of sunshine there have also been a couple of fronts move through, one of which, in the middle of last week, brought over a foot of snow to higher slopes in the Colorado and Utah Rockies meaning a mid-April powder day. Vail posted a foot (30cm) of fresh snow ahead of its final weekend of 23-24 last Saturday/Sunday, Steamboat, also now closed, was another big winner, reporting 28cm (11”). Of the half-dozen or so centres staying open into May, Snowbird (0/127” / 0/318cm) was one of the bigger winners posting 25cm (10”) and back in Colorado, Copper Mountain (65/185cm / 32/74”) got about the same. More snowfall arrived as a send front passed through at the weekend.

ROCKIES FORECAST

Mostly sunny weather although some rain/sleet/snow showers later in the week at more northerly destinations. Overnight lows still getting down around freezing, perhaps a few degrees below on high slopes by only to the low 40s at resort level where afternoon temperatures will be up in the 50s.

USA WEST REPORT

Predominantly dry and sunny on the US West Coast with daytime temperatures making it into the low-50s at bases, but overnight lows still getting 10 degrees or more below freezing on the upper mountain, so freeze-thaw conditions on western slopes. Around 10 ski areas remain open in the region, mostly in California and Oregon, along with Alyeska (44/148” / 109/371cm) up in Alaska. Most will close after this coming weekend though with Mt Bachelor and Timberline in Oregon and The Palisades (22/139” / 56/348cm) and Mammoth (94/142” / 234/356cm) in California staying open through May.

USA WEST FORECAST

The war, sunny weather of the past few days should give way to a front bringing cooler air to end the week and through the weekend. Temperatures in the mountains back down around freezing and light to moderate snowfall is expected for the final weekend of April.

USA EAST REPORT

It’s been corn snow conditions in the eastern US over the past week with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. Vermont's Killington (20/53cm / 8/21") as well as Sugarloaf (8/20" / 20/50cm) and Sunday River (28/32" / 70/80cm) in Maine are the three areas still open in the East, the latter weekends only. Killington has piled snow high on its Superstar trail as usual and aims to stay open as long as they can into May, for the other two the aim is to make it to next Wednesday, May 1st, although bases are getting thin.

USA EAST FORECAST

Mostly dry, sunny weather, although with a small front moving through midweek. Overnight lows on higher slopes drop below freezing but up to the 40s in the daytime. At mountain bases more like lows in the 40s, afternoon highs in the 50s and heading towards the 60s by the weekend, potentially.

CANADA

CANADA WEST REPORT

Half-a-dozen Canadian ski areas remain open including the three Banff ski areas, Whistler Mountain and Jasper’s Marmot Basin (100/100cm / 40/40”). Vancouver’s local Grouse Mountain (138/251cm / 45/100”) ski area is currently re-opening at weekends. With Blackcomb Mountain now closed for the season it's Lake Louise (112/150cm / 45/60") posting the most terrain open, although Sunshine (40/150 / 16/60") and Marmot Basin remain fully open so have only a little less. There’s been some fresh snowfall this week but mostly light showers with temperatures ranging between -10 and +10C.

CANADA WEST FORECAST

Temperatures continue to gradually warm in what's the final week or so of the season for most of the remaining areas, with only Sunshine and Whistler planning to continue past the first weekend in May. Mostly dry conditions but with some light rain/sleet/snow showers expected later in the week.

CANADA EAST REPORT

Eastern Canada’s season appears about over with the late big area still opening, at weekends at least, Mont-Sainte-Anne (40/75cm / 16/30”) ending its 23-24 run on Sunday. However, Sommet Saint-Sauveur (30/60cm / 12/24”) keeps a few slopes and a terrain park open later into the spring than any other area in the region and is currently running a lift with a few miles of high terrain open. It’s been a mixed week of weather with mostly overcast skies and some rain and snow showers.

CANADA EAST FORECAST

Temperatures continue in the -3 to +7C range with a lot of cloud and showery weather, largely falling as light rain.