Snowstorms help Vail, Beaver Creek open more terrain as holiday crowds arrive for New Year’s Eve
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily archive
With a little help from Mother Nature, Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek are getting a head start on holiday crowds by opening more terrain.
Vail Mountain announced Saturday the opening of Tea Cup Bowl and Sweet & Sour, with access via the Morning Thunder Gate. The mountain also announced the opening of Upper Cady’s and Lindsey’s/Giant steps, with an overall offering of more than 3,700 skiable acres.
In a similar fashion, Beaver Creek announced earlier this week the opening of Grouse Mountain, bringing total open terrain to more than 1,600 acres. “Let’s finish 2024 strong,” the resort posted to Instagram.
The openings come as Eagle County has received light, consistent snowfall since Christmas. Friday offered the most generous portion, with Vail reporting 9 inches of snow and Beaver Creek reporting 6 in the last 48 hours. According to the forecast, there’s plenty more on the way. “Two storms will bring additional snow during the next three days,” OpenSnow.com founding meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote on his website.
According to Gratz, Sunday skiers should see fresh powder as they hit the slopes in the morning, followed by a dry, mostly sunny day. But that evening, a larger storm is in the forecast that Gratz predicts will bring another 4-8 inches of snow, and possibly more, to the Colorado high country through midday Monday. The additional storms to close out 2024 have potential to bring the state’s snowpack, measured by the snow-water equivalent, to normal levels after a mostly dry December.
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The fluctuations in snow reflect a similar pattern in lodging this season. Earlier this week, Vail Daily reported that before Christmas, lodging reservations across the valley were down from 2023 by between 12% and 15%. The period between Dec. 26 and Jan. 9, however, is at its normal occupancy level – meaning holiday crowds and few vacancies.
Both mountains will welcome thousands of visitors with New Year’s Eve festivities, including fireworks, live music and more. Stay tuned with the Vail Daily print and digital editions for a full preview of all the New Year’s Eve happenings coming this week.
