After months of unseasonably warm weather and bare, brown ground preventing many winter activities, snow has finally fallen across much of Alberta — but it came with dangerously cold temperatures.
All of the ski hills in the Edmonton area and in Jasper will be closed in the coming days as a Polar vortex is set to pull frigid Arctic air south, sending the temperature plummeting to below -30 C — and that’s without the wind chill.
An extreme cold warning was issued Wednesday for the entire province.
By Thursday, Environment Canada said the wind chill will make it feel like -41 C outside, which can lead to frostbite within minutes.
Air temperatures will continue to fall through the end of the week with the coldest values expected by Saturday morning.
Here are the ski hill closures, as of Wednesday afternoon:
Marmot Basin
Not technically in Edmonton, being a four-hour drive west in the Rocky Mountains, Marmot Basin is a popular destination for Edmonton skiers.
The Jasper ski resort said it would be closed on Thursday, Jan. 11 due to the cold. No closures beyond that were announced.
Rabbit Hill Snow Resort
Rabbit Hill Snow Resort, located just southwest of Edmonton near Devon, said hours were being modified Wednesday before being closed for the rest of the week.
On Wednesday, the hill is open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be no chairlift due to the cold, however, the T-Bar will be open to access the top of the hill. The Avalanche run is closed for the Alberta Winter Games Qualifier Race.
Rabbit Hill will be closed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (Jan. 11, 12 and 13).
The ski hill is expected to be open Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., however, the chairlift won’t be running again. Skiers and snowboarders will need to use the T-Bar to access the top of the hill.
Winter tubing will be closed from Thursday to Sunday, as per Rabbit Hill’s winter tubing cold weather policy.
The policy says if expected temperatures at the time of a booking are -20 C or colder (without wind chill) the hill may close the tube park.
However, if the expected temperatures are -25 C or colder (without wind chill) the tube park will be closed and full refunds issued for any bookings that have not already been cancelled.
Snow Valley
In an update posted at noon Wednesday, Snow Valley just off the Whitemud in south Edmonton said that evening’s lessons were postponed due to the wind chill but the hill would remain open until 9 p.m.
Snow Valley will not be open Thursday, Friday or Saturday (Jan. 11, 12 and 13). All lesson participants will be contacted by email regarding their program status.
The ski hill said it anticipated reopening on Sunday, Jan. 14 at 9 a.m.
Edmonton Ski Club
Due to the unseasonably cold weather, Edmonton Ski Club at Gallagher Park in the city’s core said it would be temporarily closed on Thursday and Friday.
Administration offices will still be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Subsequent notices over additional closures will be posted accordingly, the club said on Wednesday.
Sunridge
Sunridge said while conditions are great with the fresh snow, due to the upcoming cold snap, the hill just off 17 Street in east Edmonton would be open Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and then closed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Sunridge’s cold weather policy states if daytime high temperatures are -25 C or colder, school groups are cancelled and the ski hill may close for the day.
If temperatures are -15 C or colder and weekday groups have cancelled, the hill will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The tubing park will close if temperatures are -20 C or colder.
If it’s very cold outside, Sunridge said to check its website and social media to confirm it is open before coming out.
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