Utah ski season set to begin with Brian Head's second-earliest opening on record
by Carter Williams, KSL.com · KSL.comEstimated read time: 2-3 minutes
BRIAN HEAD, Iron County — Utah's 2024-25 ski and snowboard season will officially begin this weekend after a flurry of storms over the past few weeks.
Brian Head Resort officials announced Wednesday there's enough snow to open Navajo Mountain to skiers and snowboarders beginning Friday. A "first-chair celebration" is slated for 10 a.m. at the resort's Navajo Express lift. It will mark the resort's second-earliest start in its 60-year history.
"Opening day terrain will feature four trails open with top-to-bottom skiing on the Paradise trail, in addition to the Strip, Freemont and Easy Time trails," resort officials said in a statement, adding that the Navajo Lodge will also be open for lessons, rentals and food options.
Brian Head didn't receive much from an Election Day storm that passed through Utah, which overperformed in other parts of the state. However, resort officials said the area has received snow off and on since Oct. 18 allowing them to open on time. Weather conditions since then also aided snowmaking efforts at the resort, helping create an 8-inch base in time for opening day.
The resort's earliest opening date is Nov. 4, 2022.
Other resorts in the state, still preparing for their opening days, received a welcomed bump on Tuesday.
A storm passing from the north wasn't expected to produce as much in the mountains as other storms this season, but ultimately delivered 8 inches of fresh powder at Snowbird Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon. A National Weather Service station in Alta also received 8 inches of new snow on Tuesday, packing onto the more than 8 inches it received between Saturday and Monday.
Alta Ski Area will open on Nov. 22, along with Park City Mountain and Solitude Mountain Resort, according to Ski Utah. Snowbird is slated to open Nov. 28. Barring any changes over the next few weeks, Snowbasin Resort (Nov. 29) is the only other Utah resort planning to open this month.
Utah's 15 resorts brought in 6.75 million skier visits last season, a slight decrease from the record-year before.
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Carter Williams
Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter for KSL.com. He covers Salt Lake City news, as well as statewide transportation issues, outdoors, environment and weather. Carter has worked in Utah news for over a decade and is a graduate of Southern Utah University.