Deer Valley Resort delayed its opening day after persistently warm temperatures challenged snowmaking crews’ ability to meet the Dec. 1 target. The resort hasn’t named a new date yet, saying it won’t commit until the forecast finally delivers the kind of chill needed to build a real base.

“It’s been a funny forecast this year,” President and COO Todd Bennett said on Wednesday. “Every week it says it’s colder next week, and then next week comes, and it hasn’t really been colder. Rather than put out a specific date and then stress that we’re going to actually hit that date the way Deer Valley wants to do it, we’re going to hold a couple more days and see what kind of cool temperatures we get early next week.”

With more than 2,000 additional skiable acres, 10 new lifts and more than 100 new runs coming online in just two years, guests have expressed concerns about whether Deer Valley will be able to match the rapid growth with its commitment to the guest experience.

For Bennett, that comes down less to acreage and fewer lift counts. To him, it’s more about how the mountain feels on a busy day — whether the lodges are comfortable, the food and grooming are consistent and staff feel prepared to deliver the Deer Valley experience guests expect.

“It’s really the soul of this place that is special,” Bennett said, adding that resort staff want to “keep that going.”

Although the mountain is nearly doubling in size, resort leadership said the crowds will not.

Deer Valley has always capped daily capacity. Rather than setting its limit to the amount of terrain it can open, the resort will base it on how many people it can realistically serve in its lodges for food and other services.

“We always look at our pinch point,” Bennett said. “This year, dining is going to be our limiter. We’re going to have a lot more terrain than we can service with dining.”

To accommodate increased skier volume while construction continues, the resort is installing several temporary facilities. The permanent lodge servicing East Village is not finished, so Deer Valley will operate out of a large structure at the base area for the next two seasons. That structure will serve as the primary skier services hub, featuring guest services, rentals, retail and seating for more than 100 indoor and outdoor dining guests, according to Jacob Musyt, the resort’s vice president of food and beverage. 

Deer Valley also installed a dining tent at Silver Lake Beach to add capacity during dining hours. It will remain open for the entire season and is intended for general guest seating to supplement space within the Silver Lake Lodge. 

These additions are designed to spread guests more evenly across the mountain and provide the resort with sufficient seating to manage crowds until the new expansion facilities, like the Park Peak Lodge at the top of the new East Village Gondola, are completed in the coming years. 

That process also involves adjusting how the resort manages lunch hour, the busiest part of the day. To ease pressure on lodges, the resort is introducing a new “corduroy lunch” program, keeping a selection of freshly groomed terrain closed until noon. The idea is to incentivize guests to ski during the lunch rush rather than crowd into the dining areas all at once.

“If I didn’t work here, I’d probably sleep in, grab some chili, and then get fresh corduroy around 12 o’clock,” said Musyt. “At the end of the day, what we do is all about the guest experience, so fresh corduroy, less crowded dining.”

Though opening day is still undecided, the resort has a good idea of when it’ll debut the new lifts. The expansion will come online in stages this winter, with lift openings dependent on snowmaking progress. Vice President of Mountain Operations Steve Graff said the goal is to offer access as soon as conditions allow, while rolling out the new terrain in a manageable way.

Phase One is currently targeted for December 26. That first wave will include the new East Village Gondola, Pinyon Express, Keeley Express and Aurora lifts. Each lift will open with one primary run to start. Those areas give early-season skiers a first look at the expansion, from high-alpine beginner terrain off Pinyon to the returning groomers served by Aurora and Keeley, which debuted alongside Hoodoo Express last year. 

Phase Two is scheduled for around New Year’s Eve, adding Revelator Express, Hoodoo Express and Galena Express. Vulcan Express will potentially join if snowmaking stays on track. These lifts open the bulk of the new intermediate and advanced terrain, featuring longer ridge-line runs, north-facing glades and steeper tree skiing that marks a noticeable change in character from Deer Valley’s traditional groomed runs.

Phase Three is expected by mid-January. Snowmaking crews hope to have enough coverage by then to bring most remaining runs online. The final phase will open the Pioche Express and Neptune Express lifts, connecting skiers to the full network of new blue, green and black terrain in the East Village. 

The resort added 15 new snowcats this year, expanding the fleet to more than 30 machines used to maintain Deer Valley’s usual standard of grooming 60 to 70% of runs each night. The snowmaking system has also been significantly expanded, with new pump houses, over 80 miles of new pipe, more than a thousand additional snow guns and automated controls that enable crews to activate equipment more efficiently when temperatures drop.

“When Deer Valley makes snow, we traditionally make it to finish the season and not open the season,” said Graff. “So once we make snow, we don’t really want to go back and make it again.”

Hiring has been strong and there are expanded training programs to keep pace with the scale of the new terrain, according to resort leadership. Bennett said Deer Valley staff are committed to growing at a responsible pace as expanded terrain is rolled out.

“I just think that speaks to not only Deer Valley and our history, but also the support from our parent company,” Bennett said. “We’re going to do this the right way.” 

The post Deer Valley Resort delays opening, plans phased expansion rollout appeared first on Park Record.

The early weather predictions for the 2025-26 ski season are in, and the latest signs point to a winter that could sit somewhere between average and slightly lean for Utah’s mountains. 

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said there’s a 56% chance conditions will stay neutral through the fall, with a weak La Niña possibly forming as winter gets underway before fading back to neutral in the spring.

“Based on this guidance and recent changes in the tropical Pacific, the forecast team narrowly favors La Niña thresholds being reached in three overlapping, 3-month seasons ( … during September-November, October-December, and November-January),” the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center said in a Thursday report.

These early forecasts center on the ENSO patterns, short for El Niño-Southern Oscillation. ENSO is a recurring pattern in Pacific Ocean temperatures that affects weather all over the world. It has three main phases: El Niño, La Niña and neutral. 

El Niño warms the equatorial Pacific, often shifting storms south and leaving the northern Rockies, including Utah, drier and warmer. La Niña cools those waters, nudging storms north and sometimes bringing colder, snowier conditions our way, while neutral years keep ocean temperatures near average and weather patterns closer to normal.

This year’s setup, neutral phases with a chance of weak La Niña, doesn’t lock the region into either extreme. Skiers may wish for a lifetime of La Niña’s cold, wet winters, but the season is expected to be weak and short-lived, according to the National Weather Service reports.

Given that it’s only August and a La Niña year isn’t guaranteed, OpenSnow meteorologist Alan Smith is cautious about predicting what the National Weather Service is calling an average winter. Instead, he’s seeing early evidence for a warmer, drier season. 

“The signals for this winter favor below-normal snowfall and above-normal temperatures for most of the state,” said Smith in his Tuesday forecast. 

But as the keepers of the Greatest Snow on Earth, the state’s below-average snowfall often beats out most other regions for depth, said Smith, and Utahns will take what they can get. 

So, what does that mean for Park City skiers? Historically, neutral and weak La Niña years in Utah have produced everything from blockbuster winters to slow starts. The real difference tends to be timing.

Early-season snow in November and December can be hit-or-miss, which makes snowmaking a key part of getting runs open. By mid-season, January through March, the Wasatch still has the potential to pull in big storms, even if the long-range outlook leans toward average, said Smith.

In the winter of 2016-17, Park City Mountain saw 407 inches of snow, according to Ski Utah data. The very next year, 2017-18, barely reached 180 inches, one of the leanest totals in recent memory.

Both seasons align with Smith’s expectations for the year, qualifying as analog years marked by ENSO-neutral or weak La Niña conditions and cooler-than-normal North Atlantic waters.

“However, two of the seven years examined (1997 and 2017) featured above-normal snowfall in the Wasatch Range (where most ski areas are located), so you never know,” said Smith. 

This range is why both the National Weather Service and OpenSnow urge caution in reading too much into a long-term seasonal forecast. 

While early data doesn’t look great, local conditions, storm tracks and short-term weather quirks can still turn an average year into something special.

In other words, it’s still August, so keep your skis tuned and fingers crossed. Winter is coming.

The post Early season predictions say at or below average snow year appeared first on Park Record.

Solitude Mountain Resort opened its beginner double lift, Link, the weekend of Nov. 8-10, claiming first in Utah to open for the season. Brighton Ski Area opened two lifts last Thursday, its main quad, Majestic, and neighboring beginner triple, Explorer. Then on Friday, back to Solitude, opening its high-speed quad lift, Moonbeam Express.

For now, all the action is at the head of Big Cottonwood Canyon, achingly close to Park City by the closed-for-winter Guardsman Pass, but a long drive around. But that will change this Friday as Park City Mountain opens, soon followed by Woodward to skiers and riders the following Friday (Nov. 29), and soon after that, Deer Valley, the following Saturday (Dec. 7). Welcome to the 2024-25 season.

Barring big snow this weekend, speaking of achingly close with the next promising storm expected to pass mainly to the north of Utah, the progression for now looks like a lift here and a lift there as snowmaking prepares scattered skiable ribbons.

But for at least some hardy skiers who can’t wait for the season to begin, including some from Park City, Brighton and Solitude proved irresistible.

Early morning Thursday at Brighton was filled with long cheering lines and energy drinks. Skiers, boarders, ski skaters and ski bikers queued up for the first chair on Majestic, which opened at 9 a.m.  

“Have fun with it. Be safe,” said Brighton’s opening team through a megaphone as the crew handed out neck gaiters to the first 50 people in line and the gates finally opened. Skiers and snowboarders lined up over an hour before the lifts opened at Brighton and at Solitude, fueled with excitement for their first days on snow this season. 

One skier, John, also known as JB Sizzle in his skiing community, celebrated his 19th season at Brighton.

“It’s such a great vibe,” Sizzle said. “It’s very youthful, but I love it, it rubs off. Very contagious, very cool.” He got in line at 8 a.m., excited to “work out the kinks” before the season ramps up and get a few turns in before work. 

Roxanne has been coming to Brighton since she was in the seventh grade. She said she had lined up for the first chair, though she was not one of the four to kick off the quad lift’s inaugural journey this season. 

“We were here early, trying to get in as many runs today as we can. I’ve had a season pass here for three years, and I love the vibe. To me, it feels like the locals’ resort. Everyone here is just so happy to be here and together,” she said. 

The morning at Solitude the next day opened a bit slower. The eager early birds lined up at 8 a.m. for first chair, though many people waited until closer to 9 a.m. to queue up. Folks trickled into the annual DJ + Donuts party, where a DJ played behind a table of free doughnuts all morning. Solitude has put on this opening event for the past five years. The doughnuts were a big hit.

“We’re having a ball,” said Mary, a first-time skier at Solitude. “We’re looking forward to getting our first day on skis. We’ve never been to Solitude before, but it’s a blast! The music and the doughnuts are huge for morale. Looking forward to having a long run.” 

One gentleman who didn’t give his name said he has been skiing Solitude since it opened in 1957. He secured his spot as one of the first four on the first chair of Moonbeam.

“It’s a running tradition. Lifts open at 8, I got my doughnut, it’s great,” he said. “It’s been a long time. Things have changed a lot. Looking forward to when the snow gets deep.”

A snowboarder recovering from an ACL tear shared his journey back to the slopes at Brighton.

“I actually tore it here trying to land a backflip,” he said. “Now I’m six months recovered, and it feels so good to be back. I’m the designated filmer this season — no tricks for me — but I don’t mind. Brighton has been my spot for seven years.”

Despite the early wake-up, he was filled with energy and enthusiasm. “It’s just so great to be back. So stoked to be here right now.” 

New and old, Brighton’s opening day felt welcoming to all, said a University of Utah student new to Brighton and celebrating his first runs.

“Run one in the books — you can’t beat it,” he said. “I just moved here from Colorado, and I’m stoked to experience Brighton in a real way. The best ‘welcome to Utah’ I could ask for.” 

Inclusion is on the main frame for Solitude and Brighton this year. Solitude officially removed all blackout dates for Ikon Base Pass holders, allowing anyone to join in the fun without restrictions.

“For us, this is a really big deal. We just created more access for tons of pass holders, and that’s super exciting,” said Jeff Carroll, vice president of marketing at Solitude. “It’s about giving value to all of our guests that have Ikon passes. Blackout dates tend to happen on days when a lot of people are off of work, they’ve got time to ski. Now we can give them that back and that’s a huge win,” he said. 

Brighton is also gearing up for more night skiing opportunities with the addition of night lights to the runs accessed by the Milly Express lift. With night skiing more accessible at Brighton, folks who hope to learn how to ski have the opportunity to do so after work or the school day, and lift tickets are typically less expensive due to the quantity and quality of terrain available after dark. 

The projected opening date for Milly Express is Dec 13, weather permitting. 

As the first resorts open in Park City’s surrounding area, Brighton and Solitude present an exciting early season opportunity for growth and learning, as the ski community gets their legs ready for the snow. For park-goers, Brighton opens an area called ‘The Bone Zone’ in the early season, where people can work with the park team to build features and practice their skills on a few inches of snow in the parking lot before the slopes open. 

Brighton attracted every form of wintersports enthusiasts, opening their chairs to everything from skis and snowboards to ski bikes and snow skates. 

“Our whole goal is to keep Brighton what it is, and that’s affordable, family fun, not too caring about how expensive your goggles are, what kind of outerwear you’re wearing,” said Director of Marketing Jared Winkler. “It’s the everything-mountain. Everyone is here to do their own thing, and we welcome that.” 

Having opened with their beginner lift, Link, Solitude made history as the first to open in Utah for the 2024-25 season, but they did this for more than just name recognition.

“Two of the last three seasons we’ve had the longest season in Utah. So we’re kind of attached to that,” said Carroll. “Though we don’t just do it to pat our own backs. We have a lot of Ikon pass holders here, and if we can give them as much bang for their buck as possible, that’s a really big deal.”

With just the beginner lift open, skiers and riders only had access to Solitude’s Easy Street run.

 A great option for beginners, the run also presented an opportunity for seasoned skiers to get out there in the early season and have fun.

“There’s a lot of community. People were making some fun runs. We’ve set up a little mini park on Link, and people were there to just have a great time,” said Carroll. “The energy is super, super sweet. Very enthusiastic. We love it.” 

Solitude aims to open its six-person, high-speed lift, Apex Express, by next weekend. Brighton plans the same for its popular six-pack, Crest 6. 

The post Stoked for snow at Brighton and Solitude as resorts begin to open appeared first on Park Record.

The roads across Park City will get a bit busier in just a few weeks as a wave of skiers and snowboarders begin to descend on the mountain town, marking the start of the 2024-25 winter season.

Officials from Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort, Woodward Park City and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation joined Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games spokesperson Tom Kelly for a moderated discussion about the upcoming season on Friday afternoon at the Stein Eriksen Lodge for the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau’s annual tourism fall forum.

The discussion highlighted updates from Ski Utah as well as local resorts’ key plans for this winter, including new lifts and infrastructure at Deer Valley and Park City Mountain as well as what they’re doing to prepare for the return of the Winter Games in 2034.

Ski Utah President and CEO Nathan Rafferty said the 2002 Olympics helped the state make a name for itself, and tourism has increased since. Utah has seen a 15% increase in skier visits over the past five years. 

Around 6.75 million skier visits were recorded across the state’s 15 resorts during the 2023-24 season, down from the record-breaking 2022-23 season, which saw 7.1 million skier visits. Utah saw about a quarter of the total visits to the Intermountain region, which includes Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming, during the last ski season. However, Rafferty said the state is picking up ever so slightly to capture more visitors.

He also touted the financial impact of the skiing and snowboarding industry not only on the state, but the local economy. The ski industry contributed around $2.7 billion in visitor spending with an average expenditure of $320 per day.

Park City’s overall tourism industry saw $2.2 billion in economic impact with visitors spending $1.6 billion, a 7% increase, according to Park City Chamber/Bureau President and CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff. There were also 3.7 million overnight visitors, a 4% increase in visitor volume compared to 2022, according to preliminary data presented from the 2023 tourism impact study.

Around $247 million was generated in state and local tax collections. Summit County saw an increase in every tourism-related category over the last nine months, including a 3% increase in sales tax collections, a 4% increase in the Recreation, Arts and Parks tax, and a 5% increase in transient room and restaurant tax collections.

Summer lodging numbers were up about 2% for an average occupancy rate of 35%. Rates also increased about 6% for an average of $350 a night.

However, Wesselhoff said winter numbers are off to a slow start. 

Reservations on the books are pacing about 3% above average for all of winter, November through March. December is down 7% and January is down 9%, but February and March are outperforming the pacing from last year at 20% and 14% above average, respectively. Room rates overall are strong, but there is some variance month to month. The average winter rate is $950 a night. 

The upcoming election might have some travelers wary, while others might just be waiting for more snow to fall. There’s also increased competition with more Americans choosing to travel overseas. 

While the forecast for the upcoming season puts Utah in the “tweener zone” for a mild, snowy winter, officials are optimistic the 2024-25 ski season will be another successful one. 

The Chamber/Bureau invested in a rebranding effort, Mountainkind, to attract environmentally conscious, luxury travelers who want to spend time outdoors. Wesselhoff expects couples, families, sports enthusiasts, foodies and outdoor recreationists to visit Park City this winter.

“We’re thrilled to embark on a new season in winter’s favorite town, and we just know it’s going to be another incredible season,” Wesselhoff said.

Susie English, Deer Valley’s vice president of marketing, highlighted how the resort’s expansion into Wasatch County is part of its expanded excellence mission. Deer Valley East Village will open around 300 acres of new skiable terrain, 20 runs and 500 parking spots this season — about a year earlier than expected. Employee housing has also been a big focus of the resort, which plans to build a 200-bed development called Ski Rail near the Snow Park base.

Park City Mountain Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh discussed how the resort is dedicated to enhancing the visitor experience by creating an innovative, welcoming experience on the mountain such as improving snowmaking capabilities for this winter.

Woodward Park City General Manager Gar Trayner, a 2002 Olympian for Great Britain, and Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation Chief Operating Officer Calum Clark spoke about the inclusive, collaborative nature of the ski industry in Utah. 

They said they want to lower the barrier to participating in winter sports, and to partner with other community organizations such as the National Ability Center to empower youth and athletes as well as promote winter sports legacy.

Four-time Olympic speed skater Catherine Raney-Norman, chair of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, emphasized the opportunity for the 2034 Olympics to help redefine culture and community in the state. 

She said officials learned a lot from the Summer Games in Paris. Everyone has come back rejuvenated and ready to reimagine what the Olympics could mean for Utah — to shift how to improve the lives of residents, not just make it onto the map.

“We can think bigger, and that’s what we should be doing. We can think about the opportunities that go beyond just buildings and infrastructure and transportation, right? That for us is the promise and the opportunity of the next Games,” Raney-Norman said.

The post Park City prepares for busy season of skiers, snowboarders and tourists appeared first on Park Record.

Opening day for Park City Mountain remains scheduled for Friday even as the area suffers through a spell of warm, dry weather.

The resort said it “is on track to open with its typical opening package, having taken advantage of intermittent cold weather and natural snow since late October.”

The plans, which are weather dependent, include opening terrain on the Park City and Canyons Village sides. The First Time and PayDay Express lifts are slated to open, as well as the Mine Cart carpet, on the Park City side. The Canyons Village side’s opening-day lineup is expected to include the cabriolet from the primary parking lot, the Red Pine gondola and the Saddleback Express and High Meadow lifts. The Sweet Pea carpet is also included. The opening-day terrain is expected to cover six trails across the two base areas.

The resort said it “will continue snowmaking operations and monitor the weather to expand terrain offerings in the coming weeks.”

Park City Mountain this ski season is marking the 60-year anniversary of the opening of Treasure Mountains, the precursor to today’s resort. There will be opening-day celebrations with disc jockeys at the two base areas and free limited-edition posters commemorating the anniversary. There will be two additional limited-edition posters distributed later in the ski season.

The opening of the ski season is a key day on the Park City calendar, even if it is normally scheduled at a time when there is only limited tourism in the community. Skiers and snowboarders in the Park City area and elsewhere in the region usually account for many of the people on the slopes during the opening weeks of the ski season, followed by the arrival of visitors from outside of Utah as the holidays approach.

Park City Mountain usually sets its opening day several weeks before the lifts at Deer Valley Resort begin turning. Opening day at Deer Valley is scheduled in December.

There has been only intermittent recent snow as preparations for the start of the ski season continued at Park City Mountain. Snow coverage at the lower elevations on the Park City side of the resort was visibly sparse on Tuesday.

The National Weather Service forecast midday on Tuesday called for sunny conditions with the high temperature reaching 56 degrees on Wednesday and rain possible on Wednesday night. The Thursday forecast called for a chance of rain followed by a chance for snow and rain, with little if any snow accumulation expected, and daytime temperatures reaching 47 degrees. Thursday night was forecast to be dry with temperatures in the range of 29 degrees.

The post Park City Mountain sticks with Friday opening plans amid warm, dry weather appeared first on Park Record.

Park City Mountain resort hosted the 21st annual pond skimming event mid-mountain near the Red Pine Lodge on the Canyons side Saturday and Sunday, April 15th and 16th. The event spanned two days due to a tear in the pond’s tarp, causing the pond to drain. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

The post PHOTOS: 21st annual Pond Skimming appeared first on Park Record.

In this week’s collection of portraits from For The Record, we asked people around town if they think Park City is getting too busy during the ski season and how they’re dealing with it. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

The post PHOTOS: For The Record | March 23, 2017 appeared first on Park Record.

In this week’s collection of portraits from For The Record, we asked people at Miner’s Park on Main Street how the delay of ski season is affecting their holiday plans. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

The post PHOTOS: For The Record | Nov. 18, 2016 appeared first on Park Record.

In this week’s collection of portraits from For The Record, we asked people at Atticus Coffee, Books and Teahouse what they’re doing now to prepare for the ski season. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

The post PHOTOS: For The Record | Oct. 7, 2016 appeared first on Park Record.