Solitude Sets Record-Breaking Season With 178 Days of Skiing

• USA Leads Global Snow Scene With Most Ski Areas Still Spinning
• Surprise April Snow Showers Hit High Slopes in Rockies and California
• “Victor Glacier” at Boyne Aims for Memorial Day Skiing in Michigan
• West Coast Resorts Celebrate Fresh Dumps and Longest Seasons in History

NORTH AMERICA OVERVIEW

As we approach the start of May, the US has more ski areas open than any other country once again, just like it did back in November. Around two dozen ski areas—the majority in the Rockies and the West but including a handful on the East Coast and Midwest—will continue on at least through this coming weekend, and many of them later into May. Some are now only opening on weekends, however. There are also five centres still open north of the border in Canada.

It’s the end of April, so no surprise that in most cases the still-open ski areas are on their established snow bases and not expecting fresh cover. But there have been light snow showers again this week on the highest slopes in the West, and overnight lows up high have still been dropping below freezing too. Springtime weather is dominating, with warm temperatures and soft snow the norm now.

ROCKIES REPORT

There are still at least 10 resorts open in the Rockies, the majority of them in Colorado and Utah, but the Arizona Snowbowl will also stay open until next Monday, May 5th. Currently closed midweek, it will reopen on Friday. In Utah, Brian Head (40” / 100cm) is one of four ski areas still open, along with Brighton (81/81” / 200/200cm), Snowbird (100/100” / 250/250cm), and Solitude (78/78” / 198/198cm). Also staying open until May 4, it's setting a new operating record for itself of 178 skiable days—the longest season in the resort's 60-year history—which it credits to improved snowmaking systems, late-season snowfall, and the resort's high elevation. Brighton is into its annual 'Meltdown' season, which sees it take a quick break from lift operations April 28th–May 1st to reset for The Meltdown, running from May 2nd–18th on Crest 6 from 10 am–3 pm daily, with Majestic running in addition to Crest 6 on weekends. Colorado still has the most resorts open in May, including Arapahoe Basin (60/60” / 150/150cm), Breckenridge (63/63” / 160/160cm), Copper (54/64” / 135/160cm), Loveland (62/62” / 155/155cm), and Winter Park (60/71” / 150/177cm)—that’s as many as Canada and more than most European nations. As for the weather, plenty of sunshine but with up to 10” (25cm) of snowfall reported on high slopes from snow showers over the past few days, which also continue to report freeze-thaw conditions.

ROCKIES FORECAST

Light snow showers continuing but dying out through the rest of the week. Overnight lows still dropping down to 10 degrees below freezing on high slopes in the Colorado Rockies but countered by daytime highs in the upper 40s and into the 50s.

WEST COAST REPORT

About 10 centres remain open on the West Coast in California, Oregon, and Washington State, and a front moving in from the Pacific at the weekend brought some decent amounts of fresh snowfall to some higher slopes, although strong winds and rain hit lower elevations too. However, with 16" (40cm) at Sugar Bowl (34/128" / 85/320cm) and good accumulations elsewhere in California, it briefly looked a lot like winter was back. The most open are in Oregon, where Willamette Pass (47/47" / 120/120cm) has announced the longest season in its history will run to May 11. Mt. Hood Meadows (126/126" / 315/315cm), Timberline (147/147" / 370/370cm), and Mt. Bachelor (114/147" / 285/360cm) also remain open. In Washington State, you can still ski at 49 Degrees North (28/85" / 70/212cm) and Crystal Mountain (74/93" / 185/232cm), while in California, Mammoth (63/123" / 157/307cm) and The Palisades (5/128" / 12/320cm) remain open, with Donner Ski Ranch considering continuing weekends into May.

WEST COAST FORECAST

Mostly sunshine in the forecast, with temperatures ranging from the 30s overnight up high to the 50s or 60s at lower levels in the daytime. The longer-term forecasts suggest another front, which could be cold enough for snow up high, could roll in again at the weekend.

MIDWEST REPORT

In the Midwest, the usual last resort to make it to the end of April or into May remains open in Michigan and has reported cold weather at times over the past week, although it’s been getting into the 70s at other times too. Mount Bohemia (165/165” / 419/419cm) has announced that it hopes to reopen for a (probably) final weekend to May 4. The resort has built a big base through the winter by using the Killington technique of piling it on with snowmaking through colder times, so there’s a lot lying to thaw. Boyne Mountain (40/206” / 100/520cm) is also still open and hoping to make it through to the end of May thanks to a big snow-farming effort there, creating what they’re calling a glacier. “Our Victor Glacier is sitting pretty with a mind-blowing 206 inches of snow at max depth and 96-inch average across the glacier,” Boyne staff said in this week’s snow report. “Thanks to our crew’s 30+ hours of snowmaking in March, we’re not just making it to May—we’re eyeing Memorial Day weekend! Don’t store that gear yet; the slopes are still calling!”

MIDWEST FORECAST

Overnight temperatures will remain at or above freezing point on higher slopes, with daytime highs in the 50s. A mixture of rain showers and sunny spells is expected over the coming week.

EAST COAST REPORT

We are down to four, possibly five areas still operating on the East Coast for the first weekend of May. Vermont is the most clear-cut, with Jay Peak (24/60” / 60/150cm) and Killington (20/20” / 50/50cm) both planning to keep operating as long as they can into May. New Hampshire’s Black Mountain (6/120” / 15/300cm) and Sugarbush (12/47” / 30/120cm) are also confirmed, pretty much. In Maine, Sunday River was definitive that last weekend was its last, but Sugarloaf Mountain is currently on a pause in operations this week Monday through Friday but says that they plan to evaluate conditions for a potential bonus day this Saturday, May 3. Temperatures did dip towards freezing with a little snowfall at the weekend, but sunshine returned and temperatures have been climbing back into the 40s, 50s, and even 60s since.

EAST COAST FORECAST

Continuing warm and sunny, meaning a fast-thawing snowpack and soft-to-wet snow conditions. Becoming more unsettled at the weekend, with temperatures falling and the potential for light snowfall on high slopes, but more likely sleet and rain.

CANADA REPORT

Five Canadian ski areas will be open into May, with Banff centres dominating in terms of what’s still open. Both Lake Louise (85/171cm / 34/68”) and Sunshine (40/199cm / 16/80”) report the snow still lying deep and more than 90% of their slopes still open. With its Whistler Mountain slopes now closed, Whistler Blackcomb (0/220cm / 0/88”) is down to about a third open. Also still offering skiing is Marmot Basin (100/100cm / 40/40”) up near Jasper, which remains close to fully open, and over on the East Coast, Sommet St-Sauveur in Quebec is open into May. It's been a week of freeze-thaw conditions on higher runs, with overnight lows on upper mountain slopes still getting 2–5 degrees below freezing. The snow stays soft on lower slopes, where +10 to +20°C is being reported in the afternoons in valleys. Plenty of sunshine, but some light snow showers were reported again on higher slopes.

CANADA FORECAST

It’s mostly sunny in the West. Temperatures still dip below freezing overnight at 2,000m altitudes but reach +10 to +20°C at resort bases through the day. A little cooler and more unsettled in the East, with highs around +10°C and frequent rain, sleet, and possibly snow showers on the highest slopes overnight.