Ski season opening day in limbo with lack of mountain snow
Nov 15, 2021, 1:46 PM
Ski Utah President & CEO Nathan Rafferty provides an update on the 2021/2022 ski season at Squatters Pub in Salt Lake City on November 15, 2021 (Nick Wyatt, KSL Newsradio)
(Nick Wyatt, KSL Newsradio)
SALT LAKE CITY — A handful of Utah ski resorts planned to open this weekend, but most are holding off until more snow falls in the mountains.
Representatives from Ski Utah and a handful of local ski areas met for an update on the upcoming ski season at Squatters in Salt Lake City Monday morning. They were there to talk about the successes of last winter and the expectations for the upcoming season.
“I was going to talk about opening dates and go down a list here, but we’re in a little bit of a flux and I think ski areas are going to take a look,” says Ski Utah President and CEO Nathan Rafferty. “Good news is we’ve got cold temps coming in Tuesday night which is going to be great for making snow.”
While great for making artificial snow, the incoming storm this week likely won’t drop much of the real stuff. Another storm moving its way across Utah Friday will probably also result in small snow totals.
If you happen to be 6 inches tall, tomorrow could feature knee deep snow. pic.twitter.com/jN2QdrdadY
β πππ€ππ₯ππ πππ π¨ π½π π£ππππ€π₯ (@WasatchSnow) November 15, 2021
Solitude, Park City, and Woodward all planned to open this Friday and Alta on Saturday. For now, most of those opening dates are up in the air.
Opening Day Update: Recent warm temps are delaying our opening day. But donβt be dismayed! Our snowmakers are making snow at every opportunity and weβre committed to providing the best early-season experience possible. Weβll issue an update on our new target opening day soon. pic.twitter.com/1jGcBqhOdL
β Park City (@PCski) November 12, 2021
Reflecting on the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Utah, Rafferty is remaining optimistic.
“It was mid-November, it was warm. There wasn’t a flake at 10,000 feet. I went out of town for Thanksgiving weekend and when I came home, there were over 100 inches in 100 hours…So, things can come quick and fast,” he says.
Ski Utah recommends keeping an eye on its website for updated opening dates. Resorts also recommend people check their websites and social media pages for the latest information.
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