Utah Resorts To Start Closing Even With Record Snowfall This Season

Utah is experiencing an exceptional ski season, with Deer Valley Resort and Brighton Resort breaking records for snowfall this year. Alta Ski Area also set a new record for seasonal snowfall and achieved its first 200-inch base in over a decade. Despite the forecast of more snow this weekend, the ski season will eventually come to an end, as Utah's resorts are beginning to wind down their operations due to staff shortages and declining interest from skiers and snowboarders as the weather gets warmer. Some resorts may stop operating as early as next weekend, with most expected to close for skiing and snowboarding within the next month, even though their mountains are still covered in thick layers of snow.According to Emily Summers, a spokesperson for Deer Valley Resort, the decision to close the resort on April 23 despite the abundance of snow is based on a variety of factors such as weather patterns, warm-ups, increased sunlight on the runs, and time needed for annual maintenance. Sundance and Eagle Point resorts will be the first in Utah to shut down for the season, with daily operations ending after next weekend. Sundance is offering a bonus weekend on April 7-8 but is also concerned about preparing for summer operations, including the start of scenic chairlift rides by Memorial Day weekend. Blain Wilkey, the vice president of marketing at the Sundance resort, explained that the resort opens for its summer season much earlier than most, which leaves a limited window of time to complete mandatory maintenance before starting summer lift operations. This narrow timeframe is the reason why the resort is ending its winter operations after next weekend, despite the significant snowfall this season.