HUNTSVILLE, Utah (ABC4)- Warm weather is great, but with the higher than average temperatures of late, it’s been putting the ski season on hold.
Already, Park City Mountain Resort said they will delay opening for the ski season due to the warmer weather of late. Two other ski resorts have pushed back their opening day because of warm weather.
Solitude Mountain Resort delayed its opening because there wasn’t enough snow at the resort to open.
Cold overnight temperatures in the Salt Lake valley brought a frigid start to the midweek. Despite the cold temperatures, conditions are expected to be dry with mostly sunny skies for the time being.
However, Snowbasin Resort released a statement on Wednesday saying it kicked off snowmaking efforts in anticipation of the upcoming ski season and will announce its opening day soon.
“It always feels as if the winter season unofficially begins with the start of snowmaking,” Snowbasin General Manager Davy Ratchford said. Despite the warm weather, Ratchford anticipates “a big winter ahead.”
Climate change has been a factor in the unseasonably warm weather of late. Utah State University published research that found the average low temperature for the ski season increased between almost 37°F (2.6°C) to a balmy 44°F (6.7°C). The research also found that the number of cold days perfect for skiing in Utah has dropped.
