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MARCH 21, 2021 | 6:00PM

Spring Operations Updates

It’s that time of the year. The days are getting longer and the weather is getting nicer! The weather isn’t the only thing that changes this time of the year though. Each season in the middle of March we begin tapering down our operations to better match visitation levels. However, this year visitation patterns have changed in a couple key areas, so to match the demand and desires of our local skiers and snowboarders as much as possible we have extended our hours and added days at several areas this spring. You'll find all the latest updates and extensions below.

APRIL 5, 2021 | 3:00PM

Recent Update

Summit Central has been extended an extra weekend and will be open April 17-18. Operations may be limited.

Summit East has been extended one more weekend and will be open April 3-4.

Silver Fir was added to the calendar for March 31, plus the weekend of April 24-25 has been confirmed and added at Alpental.

Snapshot of Additions

    • Night Skiing at Summit Central & Silver Fir
      FRIDAY & SATURDAY, LAST NIGHTS OF THE SEASON
    • March 26-27
    • Weekend added at Nordic Center
      SATURDAY-SUNDAY
    • March 27-28
    • Days added at Silver Fir
      WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY
    • Mar. 31-April 1
    • Midweek days added at Alpental
      THURSDAY-FRIDAY
    • April 1-2
    • Weekend Added at Summit East
      FINAL WEEKEND FOR SUMMIT EAST
    • April 3-4
    • Midweek Days added at Summit Central & Silver Fir For Spring Break
      THURSDAY-FRIDAY
    • April 7-9
    • Weekend added at Tubing Park
      SATURDAY-SUNDAY
    • April 10-11
    • Weekend added at Summit Central
      SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OPERATIONS MAY BE LIMITED
    • April 17-18
    • Alpental Open April 17-18 & 24-25
    • Confirmed

Visit Our Hours Page To See The Latest Schedule For Each Mountain Area Through The Spring

EXTENDED SEASON

What About Beyond April 25th?

Many of you have been asking what the scoop is on extended spring operations at Alpental. While April 25 is currently the last open day shown on our schedule, we will continue to evaluate our operating calendar each week. Decisions regarding operations beyond April 25 are typically not made until further into April, so please be patient - it is too early to make the call and too early to assume it won’t be open.

Weather plays a huge role in the success of spring weekend operations at Alpental. While we currently have a deep, healthy snowpack, a lot can change in a month. Especially if we have an extended run of warm and sunny days, or a large cycle of rain.

We’re also evaluating several different operating scenarios for mid-April and beyond in order to support weekend demand if it substantially increases compared to prior years.

MORE INFORMATION

Why Did Night Skiing End?

At the start of the season night skiing is typically dependent on snow conditions and depth, the goal is to open nights once there’s enough coverage to reduce hazards that may be difficult to see at night. However, in the spring the reduction and close of night skiing is most often not related to snow depth. Night skiing traditionally comes to an end in mid-March due to a steep drop in night visitation and deteriorating, very firm conditions. In March we start to see longer, warmer days, yet we still get significant cooling when the sun begins to drop – creating thaw-freeze cycles that make for less than desirable night skiing conditions on most evenings. On top of less than ideal conditions, demand for night skiing steeply falls off more and more every week in March.

MORE INFORMATION

Why Is Summit West Closed?

Summit West is now closed for the season. Visitation levels March 13-14 supported extending Summit West one more weekend compared to a normal year, but predictably, visitation dropped substantially March 20-21. Hence the reason not to extend further given resources needed at our other areas. Closing Summit West each March when we do is a business decision based on visitation levels dropping substantially, it is not related to snow depth or conditions.

MORE INFORMATION

What About Alpental Midweek Ops?

In years past, midweek operations at Alpental have tapered down to two days (Thurs-Fri) after the third weekend in March. Then, the first week of April Alpental shifts to weekend only. This year we’re adding at least one more week of Thursday-Friday operations, possibly two.

We are doing the best we possibly can to provide operations that match demand and the feedback we are receiving from passholders. While we can’t just simply keep operating every lift and every area, this season we have added more operating days than ever before in order to keep up with what local skiers and snowboarders want.