Two US resorts have announced extended spring and summer opening as a result of the large amount of snow that has already fallen in Western North America.
Mammoth Mountain in California has had its snowiest month ever with more than 6.3m of snow in January, more than 1m past the previous all-time monthly snowfall record set in December 2010. With a base of more than 7m, it says it already knows it will open for skiing on 4 July 2017 and is offering free skiing on that day to anyone who buys a lift pass in January.
Meanwhile, Keystone Resort in Colorado has announced it will extend its main season to Easter Sunday, 16 April, after its snowiest winter season in more than 10 years.
After only 20 days, Mammoth Mountain has announced that January 2017 has become its snowiest January after more than 4.5m of snow fell by the 21st. It broke its all-time monthly snowfall record of 5.3m in December 2010 only two days later on the 23rd.
Mammoth was established by the legendary Dave McCoy 77 years ago (he is still going strong aged 101, although he sold the resort in 2005). It entered February with a 760cm base, by far the deepest in the world. It’s rare for any ski resort in the world to reach a 7m base, and when they do, it’s usually not until spring.
