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Latest in Alta
Alta Records Lowest Snowfall in History, is it a Troubling Trend
Utah's Alta Ski Area endured a historically dry 2025-26 season, receiving just 321 inches of snowfall – the lowest on record. This highlights a broader pattern of declining snowpack in the West and raises concerns about the future of skiing.
Alta Opens for Uphill Travel After Season Close
Alta closed its lift operations on 26 April following a 13-inch powder day, but uphill access remains open through the off-season. The mountain is now unpatrolled backcountry with no avalanche mitigation or emergency services - and you'll need to bring your own rescue capability.
Utah Resorts Score Late Season Snowfall After Disappointing Winter
Utah's ski resorts received significant April snowfall, with Brighton recording 29 inches from a single storm. Seven of the state's 15 resorts remain open to take advantage of the late-season conditions, offering temporary relief after a below-average winter.
Utah Ski Season 2024-25: Third-Busiest Year Despite Visitor Decline
Utah's ski resorts recorded their third-busiest season ever with 6.5 million visitors in 2024-25, but the 3.6% decline from the previous year highlights growing challenges. Weather patterns, the Park City strike, and economic pressures all contributed to the drop, even as the industry invests hundreds of millions in new infrastructure ahead of the 2034 Olympics.
Utah Ski Resorts Maintain Strong Visitation Despite Weather Challenges
Utah's ski resorts saw a slight dip in visitors during the 2024-2025 season, but still recorded the third-highest total on record with over 6.5 million skier visits.
Park City Mountain Resort: Local Tech CEO's Vision for Acquisition and Expansion
Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, has purchased Town Lift Plaza in Park City and expressed interest in acquiring Park City Mountain Resort from Vail Resorts, with plans for significant upgrades including a potential gondola connection to Alta.
Utah Ski Resort Closing Dates for 2024-25 Season
As the 2024-25 ski season winds down in Utah, find out when your favourite resorts are planning to close and make the most of the remaining snow days.
Cottonwood Canyon Ski Resorts in Utah Receive Significant April Snowfall
Utah's Cottonwood Canyon ski resorts have been blanketed with fresh powder, receiving up to a foot of snow in the past 24 hours. This April snowfall has boosted season totals and improved conditions across Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude.
Alta's Supreme Lift Upgrade: Smoother Rides Coming in 2025
Alta Ski Area announces plans to straighten and upgrade the Supreme lift, eliminating the notorious 'bend' and improving the skiing experience for the 2025-26 season.
Alta Ski Area Reaches 500-Inch Snowfall Milestone
Alta Ski Area in Utah has surpassed 500 inches of total snowfall this season, marking a significant turnaround from a slow start. The recent storms have created ideal conditions for spring skiing.
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More from the SnowStash desk
Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair
Arosa's Hörnli sector is getting its biggest overhaul in decades. The 1986 gondola and 1994 chairlift linking toward Lenzerheide are both being replaced, with capacity up, tower count down and a new base station lower on the hill. At roughly CHF 67 million, it is the largest single investment Arosa Bergbahnen has ever made - and the target opening has already slipped a year, to December 2028. Here is what is changing, and why the timeline moved.
Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter
Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.
Levi and Ruka Confirm October 2 Opening on Farmed Summer Snow
Finland's Levi and Ruka open for the 2026-27 season on October 2, more than seven weeks before most of Europe sees a lift turn. Neither resort is waiting on autumn snowfall - both are skiing on snow buried since last spring, insulated through the Finnish summer and dug back out for opening day. It is not a shortcut. It is a decades-old system now spreading from the Arctic Circle to Idaho, Utah, Vermont and Colorado. Here is how snow farming actually works, and why it is catching on.
Sölden's Old Einzeiger Chairlift Gets a Second Life in Montafon
Silvretta Montafon is replacing its ageing Freda chairlift - but not with something new. The resort is having a 1999 four-seater chairlift, retired from Sölden, dismantled, shipped to Vorarlberg and rebuilt with new electronics, cable and clamps. It has to be running before March 2027, when Silvretta Montafon hosts the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships - the biggest winter sports event Vorarlberg has staged. Here's how a reused lift ends up cheaper.
Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season
Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.
Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope
Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.
Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area
Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.
Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening
Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.