2004-05 Ski Season Summary

The following major weather patterns affected the ski season.
Late October: Record storms hit the Sierra and Wasatch, with lesser amounts in the Southwest.
November through early December: Most of November was drier than normal, but a 2-3 foot storm hit Southwest, Utah and Colorado the week before Thanksgiving. There were modest snows throughout the West the first week of December.
Mid-December to Christmas: High pressure throughout the West. Christmas was above average at the high altitude areas of the Sierra, Utah and Southwest that had earlier snow, but terrain was limited at most northern areas with the exception of the Tetons and Sun Valley.
Christmas to early January: The season's biggest storms pounded the Sierra, Utah and Southwest, with substantial amounts also in Sun Valley, the Tetons and the rest of Colorado. Lesser amounts fell farther north, and of the other northern and Northwest areas only the Okanagan group was close to full operation by mid-January.
Mid-January to mid-February: The mid-January Tropical punch devastated the Northwest and low altitude Northern Rockies areas. Then an unseasonable drought kept many of these areas closed or limited over the next 2 months. Areas farther south had below average snowfall but were in full operation during this time.
Late February: The season's familiar pattern recurred with storms in the Sierra, Utah and the Southwest.
First half of March: Warm and dry. Deep spring conditions south, dirt conditions north with more areas closing prematurely.
Second half of March and early April: This was the only time of widespread storms this season, huge along the West Coast and in Utah, but still substantial elsewhere. The previously closed Northwest areas reopened for a few weeks.
Spring: The Sierra and Utah had accumulated huge bases for spring skiing and continued to receive snow through early May. Late May was very hot and a wet slide at A-Basin was the first in-bounds avalanche fatality in 30 years. Mammoth and Snowbird remained open until July.
For more detail on snow incidence by month and region, see 2004-05 Ski Season Analysis.