With 610 inches of snow under its belt, Park City Mountain has become the latest Utah ski area to keep its lifts going until May.
Resort managers announced Wednesday that the largest ski area in the United States will now close May 1. That extends operations a week beyond when it was expected to close and three weeks beyond the closing date anticipated at the start of the 2022-23 season.
The resort has only allowed May skiing once since 1982. Combined with its early opener, this will be Park City Mountain’s longest season on record.
Deirdre Walsh, Park City Mountain’s vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement that the extension was credited to staff efforts as well as an abundance of snow.
“From our early opening in November and spinning all lifts by Christmas Day through more than 610 inches of total snowfall and a 160″ base in early April,” Walsh said, “every week has brought new milestones and broken old records thanks to the hard work of our incredible team. Faced with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I am thrilled that we are able to ski and ride all the way to May.”
Park City Mountain will have most of its lifts running out of both the Canyons and the Mountain Village bases through this weekend. Starting Monday, it will cut back to eight lifts only out of the Mountain Village side. For the bonus week, which begins April 24, it will open Crescent Express and Silverlode Express out of the Mountain Village from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those lifts serve 1,250 acres of terrain. The resort will also have “limited dining operations” at its Legacy Café.
Parking will be free in Mountain Village lots and at Canyons for the rest of the season.
That now makes four Utah ski areas that have said they will have lifts running into May. Brighton will close most of its mountain April 30 but will keep its Milly lift running daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Memorial Day. Solitude will be open daily through May 7 and then Friday through Sunday until May 27 or possibly beyond. Meanwhile Snowbird, which is known for offering skiing in July, will be open daily through May 14 and on weekends indefinitely after that.
Park City Mountain expects to begin summer operations June 16.