With the kind of season Nordic Valley Resort had in 2023-24, general manager Pascal Begin could be forgiven for wanting to shut down the resort as soon as possible.
Instead, he’s looking forward to soaking up the potentially last weekend the ski area near Eden has left this season.
Begin and his Nordic Valley team aren’t waving the white flag, per se, but the ski area with the lowest base elevation in Utah will likely be the first to cut power to its lifts. Nordic Valley has already transitioned to weekend-only operations, Begin said. And as soon as the end of day Sunday, he said, the resort may end a season in which one lift refused to function and its main lodge caught fire.
“We’re playing it by ear weekend by weekend,” he wrote in an email to The Tribune. “Although with the current weather forecast and our low snow coverage, I wouldn’t be surprised if this Sunday [March] 24 would be our last day. We’ll try for the following weekend [March] 30 but mother nature would have to be super favorable.”
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Pascal Begin, general manager at Nordic Valley Ski Resort in Weber County, talks about the many challenges facing one of Utah’s most affordable and quant ski areas on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. The lodge, pictured in background burned down earlier in the week might be rendered a total loss.
Snow is in the forecast as soon as this weekend, but it might not be enough to stop the end of another Utah ski season from coming.
Five other resorts have set April 7 as their closing that day: Powder Mountain, Beaver Mountain, Cherry Peak, Eagle Point and Sundance. That means in three weeks more than a third of Utah’s 15 ski hills will be shuttered.
Yet those skiers and snowboarders not quite ready to see the season end should have plenty of options.
Several resorts have announced season extensions. On Monday, Park City Mountain and Snowbasin pushed back their closing dates, joining Brian Head and Deer Valley (which extended for just the second time in its history). Others, such as Brighton, Solitude and Snowbird promise skiing and riding well into May — conditions permitting.
“Fortunately, we have a team that loves this mountain and skiing as much as our guests to keep this incredible season going,” Davy Ratchford, Snowbasin’s general manager, said in a blog post on Monday that announced Huntsville resort’s two-week extension. “So, grab your pass and come enjoy a few extra weeks of winter with us.”
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Early powder enthusiasts ski at Snowbasin Resort, Nov. 21, 2022.
Even better news for skiers and boarders: Nature might not be done with winter yet.
Though spring officially arrives Tuesday, snowstorms are expected to roll through the mountains through the end of the month. Snowbird could see a foot or more this weekend alone, according to OpenSnow.com forecasts. More snow is on the horizon early next week, with Brian Head — which just stretched its season a couple more weeks — forecast to take the brunt of it Wednesday.
Of course, the sun will make plenty of appearances as well, which is why Snowbird has changed its snow report to a “surf report” for the spring.
“We’re looking for a goggle tan so deep we can still see it next November,” its website says. “Like a surfer rides a wave, we’re riding big terrain, harvesting corn and getting a little loose all spring long with skiing & riding through Memorial Day.”
So whether it feels like winter will never end, or you never want it to, here is a breakdown of each ski area’s tentative operation plans for the remainder of the season.
(Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune)
2023-24 Utah Ski Season Closing Dates
Alta: April 21
Beaver Mountain: April 7
Brian Head Resort: May 5
Brighton: May 19 (Daily operations through April 28; reopen for daily operations May 3-19 with $35 lift tickets)
Cherry Peak: April 7
Deer Valley Resort: April 21
Eagle Point: April 7 (kids 12-under ski free)
Nordic Valley: Sunday or March 30
Park City Mountain: April 22 (Parking reservations at Mountain Village ends April 1; from April 15-21, resort will offer seven lifts out of both bases; celebrating its 60th anniversary April 22 with First Time Express, 3 Kings, Crescent Express and Silverlode Express open out of the Mountain Village)
Powder Mountain: April 7
Snowbasin: April 28 (Ski Bus through April 13; lift ticket prices during the extended period will reflect the amount of terrain available)
Snowbird: May 27 (On April 14, Lower Gad terrain and six lifts will close: Mid-Gad, Wilbere, Gadzoom, Gad 2, Baby Thunder and the Baby Thunder Tube; Little Cloud will remain open)
Solitude: May 12 (parking reservations end April 14)
Sundance: April 7
Woodward Park City: April 28 for jib park (tubing closes April 7; Hot Laps lift closes April 14)
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