Every skier looks forward to the opening of ski season – and dreads when it closes. But the dates vary from mountain to mountain and other factors that include altitude, how cold it is and whether or not the mountain has extensive snowmaking ability. Generally speaking, ski season lasts from 5 to 6 months. This means most North American ski areas will open sometime in November and close in early April.
At Mammoth Mountain in California, ski season begins in November, but it lasts a long time. There are some years that skiing goes on well into July! Imagine celebrating the Fourth of July skiing on the mountain!
Killington, in Vermont, has the longest ski season in the Northeast, due to the largest snowmaking system in the U.S. Skiing starts in November and ends in early April. Also in Vermont, Stowe Mountain’s ski season begins in late November.
At Whistler Blackcomb Mountain Resort in British Columbia the season opens November 21-26 and ends about April 13.
Colorado ski slopes have varying season dates as well:
- Aspen and Breckenridge: opens late November, closes late April
- Beaver Creek, Crested Butte, Durango and Steamboat Springs: opens mid-November, closes mid-April
- Copper Mountain: opens mid-November, closes early May
- Keystone: opens mid-October, closes early May
- Snowmass and Telluride: ski season runs from November to April
- Vail: opens early November, closes early May
- Winter Park: opens early November, closed mid-April
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski season runs from November 29 through April 5, weather conditions permitting.
At Alta Ski Area in Utah, ski season begins November 15-21 and ends approximately April 19.
Squaw Valley Ski Area, Olympic Valley, California, has already announced its ski season schedule: opening November 21, 2009 and closing around May 10, 2010.
Now that you know when ski season starts, make sure you book your vacation rental to make sure you have a comfortable place to call home during your stay!
