The company announced opening dates for its biggest resorts Aug. 18, amid a wave of headlines heralding a potential Super El Niño snow year.
Park City Mountain’s target date is Nov. 20, the Friday before Thanksgiving.
Bill Rock, Vail Resorts' mountain division president, says the possibility of El Niño-driven snowfall has the company “feeling optimistic.”
“And while we'd love to see Super El Niño live up to the hype, we're also taking an aggressive approach to snowmaking to ensure this ski season is one to remember,” he said.
In Colorado, Keystone Resort plans to open “as soon as possible in October.” Breckenridge is targeting Nov. 6 followed by Vail Mountain Nov. 13.
Joining Park City on Nov. 20 are: Whistler-Blackcomb in Canada, as well as Heavenly and Northstar in California’s Lake Tahoe area.
Beaver Creek and Crested Butte are scheduled for Nov. 25.
Kirkwood in California and Stevens Pass in Washington hope to open Dec. 4.
Epic Pass prices increase Sept. 7.
Last year’s warm winter delayed many western ski resorts’ opening days. Park City Mountain couldn’t open until December.
Forecasters say the warm temperatures associated with El Niño could make for rain, not snow — the same issue that dogged ski resorts last winter.
Vail Resorts’ EpicPromise Employee Foundation is a financial supporter of KPCW.
