Is it good to ski while it is snowing heavily? Do the ski resorts close when it snows heavily?

Question

Is it good to ski while it is snowing heavily? Do the ski resorts close when it snows heavily?

Answer 1

Personally, I LOVE to ski when it's coming down heavy.

However, big-mountain resorts do close very steep runs or even the whole resort when it comes down too much too fast, for fear of the development of conditions ripe for an in-bounds avalanche, which has already happened a few times this year and has killed people.

Answer 2

Did you actually ask this question?  Good skiiers live for powder days.  Skiing in fresh pow is as good as s*x in my opinion.  The only reason a resort would shut down is if the access road to the resort was impassable due to the snow, there is so much snow that the lifts do not have the required ground clearence to mee code in all areas, or if the wind associated with the storm was so intense that it made lift de-railment a possibility.  Other than that, on powder days, most other businesses in town will shut down because all of the workers are out enjoying the powder!

Answer 3

Yes, it is a great idea!! We call that "free refills", meaning every run is fresh powder!

If it is really heavy though, and windy and cold, then I usually stay home and wait for the next day.

Some resorts may close due to "too much snow". For different reasons. Sometimes, the avalanche danger is too high. Or, they have to dig the lifts out! When I was in Montana a few years ago,  Bridger Bowl closed for a day because they had to dig the lifts out after 3 feet of heavy snow fell.

Answer 4

Skiing when it's snowing is awesome. The snow feels very soft and powdery underfoot. There are just a couple of things to be aware of;

1. In heavy snowfall goggles (yellow or clear lensed) are essential so you can make the most of possibly limited visibility

2. It's best to stick to pistes you know quite well if visibility is limited.

3. Only go off-piste with a good guide (if at all) as heavy snow brings heavy avalanche risk.

4. If visibility is too poor, staying below the tree line might be better.

5. If it's a complete whiteout there's no shame in taking half a day or a day off, and your recovered body will be in good shape for powdery conditions tomorrow!

Generally resorts try to stay open- a closed day means less revenue. if snowfall is accompanied by high winds they'll almost certainly close at least some lifts

Answer 5

Avalanche danger is the main reason a resort may close during heavy snow. This could mean just the avalanche prone areas are closed and other trails will still be open.

High winds may be another reason the resort may suspend lift-service. Gondolas and Trams are more prone to wind-caused problems than chairlifts. However, riding in a chairlift during a major storm sometimes sucks. I have witnessed this several times.

Power outages caused by heavy snow on the power lines may also be a contributing factor to close a lift. However, this is rare as nearly all lifts have a back-up generator or diesel engine to move the lifts, but if power is down they may just use the back-up to get those on the lift off and then shut down the lift indefinitely.

Personally, I enjoy skiing in falling snow. It's the only time I ever break out the goggles and as long as you have the proper clothing on, you should remain relatively dry and warm.

Answer 6

Skiing in heavy snow is great fun, but if you are skiing with a group, stick close together as visibility can be very poor. Also it can get really cold and wet, so make sure you have extra layers, spare gloves, scarfs and hats (even waterproof gloves get very wet) and goggles are essential.

Unless there was a serious risk of some kind, it is unlikely that a piste would be closed.