This winter has not been a typical one for Alberta. Temperatures have been higher than average, massive snow events rare and extremely frigid dips few and far between.
The atypical warm winter season might have you thinking local ski hills are melting, but Snow Valley Ski Club says that’s not the case.
“It’s so nice out, people don’t see snow in their backyards any more,” Tim Day said. “It’s all over here,” he added with a smile, gesturing at the ski hill.
“The conditions are awesome.”
While the hill had a bit of a late start to the season, activity took off and attendance has been steady all year.
“We thought with the odd weather that we’d be a little slower, but it hasn’t,” Day said. “All our programs more or less have been going very well.”
Snow Valley makes its own snow – a 60-centimetre base all across the hill – and grooms it every single day.
“We make all the snow at the beginning…It takes forever to melt. It’ll stay here until middle of May, end of May,” Day explained. “We’ve got enough snow to last until the end of our schedule, which is at the end of spring break.”
It’s only been in the last week or so that they’ve seen a dip in the crowds. Day thinks it’s because people assume if snow melts in the city, it melts on the hills.
Snow Valley is scheduled to stay open until April 1.
READ MORE: Warm weather challenging winter activities in Edmonton
However, Sunridge Ski Area will close for the season on Monday March 7 at 5 p.m., unless there is snow in the forecast. If so, Sunridge will reopen for the March 12/13 weekend.
Rabbit Hill Snow Resort is scheduled to stay open until March 30.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Ski Club is scheduled to remain open until March 19.
The first line on its website reads: “We have snow! The Edmonton Ski Club makes fresh snow continuously, so the conditions are always perfect!”
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