These Utah Ski Resorts Are Closed Because There’s Too Much Snow

Sierra Shafer
·2 min read
2

This article originally appeared on Outside

Utah's Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons remain closed on Wednesday, April 5, due to avalanche hazard and snow mitigation following a massive snowstorm. The road closure means that ski areas Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, and Solitude Mountain Resort are also closed, and backcountry travel is not recommended due to avalanche danger.

The recent storm has only added more heft to a historic season of snow totals. Season snow totals at Snowbird have topped 808 inches as of Wednesday, April 5, as the most recent storm dropped 67 inches of snow onto Little Cottonwood Canyon--with more predicted to fall throughout the day. The storm broke Snowbird's all-time snowfall record of 783 inches, which was set during the 2010-2011 season.

Snowbird and nearby Alta, which has reported 874 inches of snow this season, remain under Interlodge--patrons and employees must seek shelter indoors--by order of the marshal. Only emergency personnel are permitted to be outside any buildings.

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According to the Utah Department of Transportation, due to slide-offs and increasing avalanche hazards, there is no estimated time for reopening either canyon. Numerous large avalanches have come down in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and mitigation continues.

In Big Cottonwood Canyon, the recent storm totals have hit 80 inches of new snow, bringing Brighton's snow totals to 850 inches, with Solitude Mountain Resort measuring 779 inches. Both are record highs.

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