BRIAN HEAD, Utah — With all apologies to the "The Sound of Music," the hills in Utah were alive with the sound of swooshes as the ski season officially opened Friday.
In the earliest start ever to its season, Brian Head Resort was the first location to welcome skiers just after the sun came up over the mountains. The opening came two weeks ahead of the scheduled start date.
Utah's plentiful early snowfall allowed resort officials to make the call. In the 48 hours leading up to the opening, Brian Head received 15 inches of snow, on top of the 17 inches in October.
The resort is also making snow to make the experience the best it can possibly be for skiers looking to hit the slopes.
"Our team's been working really hard. We obviously had to plan ahead and just try to push for an early opening date," said Amber Palmer with the resort.
Hours after Brian Head opened, Solitude Mountain Resort announced it would also open earlier than expected, with skiing and snowboarding beginning Nov. 11. The change is allowing Solitude to open a week ahead of time, its earliest opening date since 2013.
“It’s so exciting being able to kick off the season early with the help of these storms. All this natural snow, supplemented by our snowmaking efforts, is setting up a perfect base for us to enjoy all winter long as we strive for Utah’s longest ski season.” says Solitude's Amber Broadaway. "Looking at the forecast, this continued snowfall will be vital as we open the mountain."
