There should be a long spring season this year at the areas which stay open due to the above average base depths from this year's snow. Late spring operation is determined by the level of stockpiled snow, preservation characteristics and proximity to a large enough population center to be profitable. Most areas have scheduled closing dates of which last weekend, April 13, was most common.

California: The Sierra Nevada received a small (less than a foot) storm in early April after an extremely dry March. Base depths are still above average at the higher elevations. Mammoth always has the best April and later Sierra skiing, and its advantage will be greater than normal this year after the last two low snow months. Kirkwood and Alpine Meadows are the next best spring skiing choices. See the California regional table for snow preservation tendencies. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth. Arizona skiing is closed.

Pacific Northwest: These areas still have deep base depths of 150 to 200+ inches, which will guarantee good spring / summer skiing at Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Hood and Blackcomb. Mt. Hood Meadows' April 13 season to date snowfall total of 564 inches was 138% of normal. Whistler/Blackcomb has excellent spring skiing this month according to skier reports. I would expect 3,000 vertical of skiing at Mt. Bachelor through at least July 4, and 2,500 vertical (but much less overall variety) at Timberline for most of the summer. Check Cascade Ski Report Current Conditions or Northwest Ski Report First-Hand Reports for up to date information, as surface conditions can be variable, particularly at lower elevations. See the Pacific Northwest regional table for snow preservation tendencies.

Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Most of these areas are closed due to their remote locations. Sunshine runs through late May. Fernie had 324 inches December to March snow (117% of normal), not counting nearly 100 during November. See the Interior Canada regional table for snow preservation tendencies.

U. S. Northern Rockies: This has been the premier ski region of 1996-97. You can live vicariously through some of the Idaho Powder Hound - Skiing - Ski Reports skier submitted reports. Jackson Hole's April 6 closing date snowfall total of 551 inches is 161% of normal, close to the 27 year record. Most of the other areas are also closed. Big Sky has announced extended weekend operation due to the unusually high snow base. See the Northern Rockies regional table for snow preservation tendencies, which tend to be less than ideal in spring with the sunny exposures.

Utah: While March was below average, there was at least a foot of new snow in early April. Alta's March 19 season to date snowfall total of 484 inches was 120% of normal. Alta runs to the last weekend of April. Snowbird is Utah's best spring skiing bet, in full operation through April, while running the tram for access to Little Cloud for at least another month. See the Utah regional table for details.

Northern and Central Colorado: Steamboat (now closed) had received 390.5 inches of mid-mountain snow as of April 7 (125% of normal) to lead the region. The top of Vail has received 369 (109% of normal). Most other areas are still in full operation. See the Northern and Central Colorado regional table for snow preservation tendencies, which are generally good. Since March snowfall was low, heavy spring conditions developed in Vail's back bowls. Conditions were better in Summit County, due to higher altitude and better exposure. There has been substantial new snow in April, improving conditions. A-Basin, with North America's best snow preservation, has winter conditions on an average base depth and should last into June. Copper Mt. is the next best bet in the region this month.

Southern and Western Colorado: These areas also received April snow after a low snow March (usually the highest snow month in this region). Snow preservation is uniformly excellent in this region, but there were more spring conditions than normal due to the warm and dry March weather. See the Southern and Western Colorado regional table for details. Most areas are closed due to remote location. Sometimes Aspen operates a bit longer on weekends.

Northeast: Snowfall was above average this year, but conditions were at their best only from mid-January to mid-February. There were extensive rains and thaws at Christmas and in late February. Conditions improved in March, with up to 4 feet of snow in Maine. In New England the northern areas had both more snow and colder temperatures than those farther south. Look for the most extensive spring skiing at Sugarloaf and on the usual stockpile from snowmaking at Killington. As my report is an overview, I strongly recommend checking Scenes of Vermont Ski Page for up to date information in this region, where surface conditions can change so rapidly. Surface conditions are much more a function of recent weather in the East, as opposed to altitude and exposure in the West.