Despite slow start to winter, Snowbird attracts guests

Snowbird Ski Resort opened to the public for its winter season on Nov. 15.

In the two weeks the resort has been open, Snowbird has sold more than 17,000 lift tickets, a 44 percent increase from 11,805 passes, sold the first two weeks of the 2011-12 season.

“Although it has been a very slow start weather wise with very warm temperatures, we are fortunate to have four lifts open and the tram, which is a top to bottom ski run,” said Randy Trover, a ski patrol member.

From Nov. 12 through Nov. 14 Snowbird received 51 inches of snow at the resort’s base. The snow had a large lake effect element. Lake effect snows occur when cold winds move across warm water and water vapor is absorbed into clouds. The water vapor then freezes and precipitates as snowfall.

A northwest flow weather pattern, present during the Nov. 12 through Nov. 14 storm, favors Little Cottonwood Canyon and the Snowbird Ski Resort.

“It just kept snowing,” said Bob Bonar, the resort’s general manager. “Without that storm in the middle of November there is no way we would be open. We are located in a unique place; other areas got half the snow Snowbird received in that storm. It was all lake effect snow.”

Natural Resources Conservation Services has a snotel site located at 9,640 feet near Snowbird’s Mid-Gad lift. According to the site, the temperature has not been below freezing since 8 a.m. on Nov. 26.

“We have been in a very mild weather pattern,” said Dave Fields, vice-president of resort operations and the resort’s marketing director. “It has been consistently 50 to 60 degrees in the Salt Lake Valley for a large part of the month. It is hard to get people to think about skiing when it is warm enough to go golfing.”

While the temperatures have been warm, many guests are still enjoying the skiing Snowbird continues to offer.

“Even though it has been a warm start to the winter, this is the best skiing around right now,” said Tana Wieringa, a season pass holder and Snowbird skier since 1984. “The beauty of this canyon and the consistent quality of the snow is what keeps me coming back. It seems like it is always good here.”

As of Thursday Snowbird had less than 25 percent of its terrain open and four of 11 lifts operating.

“For the most part people are having a good time,” Fields said. “We have the luxury of being 30 minutes from Salt Lake. It’s not like an all day trip to come up here.”

With snow in the weather forecast for the upcoming weekend, Snowbird representatives hope to get enough snow to open more terrain.

“It’s frustrating not being able to control the weather,” Bonar said. “Even with the slow start we are experiencing, people are still coming. That is a reflection of the type of business we have here. Despite the conditions, people are here enjoying their time.”