Utah’s ski resorts will be enveloped by a flurry of activity this week. By next Monday, all but five are expected to be open for the season.
Snowbird will set off a second spree of openings Monday. The resort will require parking reservations for the first time this year as its method of limiting crowds and maintaining social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sundance will start its lifts turning Friday and Deer Valley will join in on Saturday. Solitude plans to open Dec. 7 after delaying its start because of lack of snow.
Eagle Valley, meanwhile, has set Dec. 18 as its opening date.
Brighton kicked off the Utah ski season on Nov. 19 to passholders only. Park City Mountain Resort, Brian Head Resort, Alta Ski Area and Woodward Park City all quickly followed suit. Snowbasin opened Wednesday for its 80th season.
That leaves Powder Mountain as well as many of the state’s smallest ski hills — Beaver Mountain, Nordic Valley and Cherry Peak — awaiting a little more help from Mother Nature before they begin welcoming guests. They may have a long wait. Little to no precipitation is in the forecast for the next two weeks, though temperatures should stay low enough to promote snowmaking.
All Utah’s resorts require masks inside all buildings and in lift lines and are asking guests to stay with their groups on chairlifts. In addition, most are requiring lift tickets to be purchased online.
