Avalanche Activity Forced Snowbird To Close This Past Weekend
Snowbird, Utah, has seen over four feet of snow this past week.
While the arrival of snow was welcome among local skiers and resort management, it also brought operational consequences.
Yesterday, Snowbird was forced to close all its lifts besides Chickadee due to high avalanche danger.
The decision caused a stir online, with some skiers writing that the closure resulted from a management failure on Snowbird's part.
However, local professional skier Taylor Pratt quickly pointed out that Snowbird's unique terrain layout makes it particularly susceptible to avalanche risk. As Pratt noted, a beginner area was hit by an avalanche at Snowbird last season—few resorts face that kind of slide exposure.
I can sit here, look at the trail map, and give you at least 10 avalanche paths PER LIFT that if unmitigated could be a danger to every member of public on that lift @ snowbird. Hell, even Chickadee has been hit by an avalanche in the past year. https://t.co/33XHs0virC
— Taylor Pratt (@TPrattski) December 4, 2023
Snowbird opened for skiing riding this season on Thursday, November 30th, firing up Gadzoom, Chickadee, and the Aerial Tram for eager skiers.
Now, after the storm, the resort remains on hold with plans to open Tram, Gadzoom, Mid-Gad, and Chickadee later in the day. Snowbird notes on this website that "thin spots and early season conditions exist, so make sure to ski and ride with caution."
Despite a slow start to the season, Snowbird is officially over the 100-inch mark, raising a question that skiers throughout North America are likely asking themselves: Is it possible for the Wasatch to have a lousy ski season?
I mean, obviously, the answer to that question is yes—any region can get dry during the winter. But with the Pacific Northwest and Sierra continuing to struggle with mixed conditions, it's tough to see the Cottonwood Canyons as anything other than some kind of mystical powder wonderland where it never stops snowing.
Related: New Snow at Palisades Tahoe
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