Where to Ski And Snowboard - US resorts to open for 4 July ski

US resorts to open for 4 July ski

31st May 2011, by Chris Gill

Mammoth Mountain - last day of May 2011! They plan to go on until July ...

Mammoth Mountain reported fresh snow on the slopes at the weekend, in a bizarre winter that just keeps on going. In fact, several US resorts are now expecting to open for snow sports on 4 July (Independence Day).

Mammoth continues to open daily, while Snowbird in Utah is aiming for its third only time open on Independence Day. If it manages it, the resort will also be able to boast its longest ever season.

Both resorts can claim record amounts of snow this winter; Snowbird reports a whopping 19.3m – a metre or so more than its previous record, set in 1984.

With snow packs still sufficiently deep, a handful of resorts are confident of a July ski day. In fact, Independence Summit in Colorado was being cleared of snowfall that fell in a freak winter storm a week ago.

The Colorado Department of Transportation reckons it’s the most snow that they have seen in years, with an estimated winter and spring total to be 452% of normal on the east side of the pass and 360% on the west side.

Independence Pass is the second-highest road pass in Colorado, its summit at 12,095ft (3,685m)

Joining Mammoth and Snowbird to celebrate July skiing they hope will be Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin and Aspen; plus Timberline in Oregon and Kirkwood (California).