Alta surpasses 900 inches of snowfall in 'unprecedented' season
Utah ski resorts continue to collect mind-blowing snow totals even as many have closed for the season.
Alta Ski Area surpassed 900 inches — or 75 feet — of snowfall for the entire snow season, with another 7 inches of snow reported at the resort Tuesday morning. Alta's current total of 903 inches shattered its previous record of 748 inches set in the early 1980s.
The additional snow came two days after the ski area closed for the season. Alta officials wrote that many staff members are seasonal employees and needed to be released to work their summer jobs, so despite the continual snow, the resort had to close for the season.
Alta officials said the area will be open to backcountry skiing once all the operational materials are cleared from the slopes, though there will be no operating lifts to get skiers to the top.
While the snow has been great, it also presented "many challenges" over the past few months, said Alta Ski Area marketing director Brandon Ott, appearing on an episode of the Flakes Podcast that aired last week.
"There were no big, high-pressure periods. It just snowed and snowed and snowed," Ott said on the podcast, noting that the ongoing snow led to more than 30 interlodge events, where guests and staff were forced indoors because of high avalanche risk.
"In 2022, we threw around that word unprecedented quite frequently and it's fair to say that this winter has absolutely been unprecedented," he added. "We're no stranger to snow. Yet, we have had to shovel rooftops and buildings two, three, four times. That's unheard of."
Many other Utah resorts have also smashed records this year. Solitude Mountain Resort, in nearby Big Cottonwood Canyon, surpassed 800 inches of snowfall for the first time Tuesday morning, receiving nearly an additional foot of snow over the past 24 hours.
Snowbasin Resort in Weber County surpassed 600 inches for the first time in its history this season, crushing its previous record of 475 inches set during the 1981-82 season along the way, as well.
"What an incredible season," resort officials wrote in a recap of the season Monday. "We had an awesome time soaring past some long-standing records, riding countless powder days and still managing to squeeze in a few days of spring skiing during our final weeks of operation."
Which resorts are still open?
Ski Utah has a running list of resorts that have either packed up for the season or extended operations a little bit longer. Alta and Snowbasin are two of several Utah resorts that have already closed for the season. Beaver Mountain, Cherry Peak, Deer Valley, Eagle Point, Nordic Valley, Powder Mountain and Sundance resorts have also shuttered for the season.
Meanwhile, some are basking in the new snow. Travis Holland, the spokesman at Solitude Resort, said Tuesday the record snow at Solitude is helping the resort remain open longer than ever before. Its closing date has been pushed back to May 21, meaning it will have remained operational for 193 days.
Here's when other resorts are currently expected to close:
Brian Head: April 30
Brighton: May 29
Park City Mountain: May 1
Snowbird: Closing date to be announced. The resort will remain open daily through May 14, then operate on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays through at least Memorial Day.
Woodward Park City: Chair closure to be announced. Jib park will remain open until the snow melts.
