Counting down to our 89th winter.
The fall colors are fading as we welcome our first measurable snowfall of the season, with more on the way this week. With a little more help from Mother Nature, we are just 38 days from the start of our 89th winter at Alta Ski Area.
Opening Day is scheduled for Friday, November 20th—conditions permitting.
We are excited for the upcoming winter and ready to turn the page on last year's challenging 88th anniversary season which saw just 321 inches of seasonal snowfall. We hope our 89th winter is a little more, well, wintry.
Super El Niño Season?
You may have heard grumblings about an El Niño winter developing in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. An El Niño winter occurs when trade winds weaken and warm water in Niño region 3.4 creeps closer to the western coast of South America. Temperatures have already warmed by over two degrees Celsius and the National Weather Service is predicting a "near-100% chance" of an El Niño winter.
In fact, those same models give us an 81% chance of a very strong El Niño—aka a Super El Niño—winter with temperatures rising between two and four degrees Celsius.
What does that mean for Alta? Great question. We've experienced three Super El Niños in the past 46 years, and one recent winter that flirted with Super El Niño status. Let's take a look at seasonal snowfall stats from those winters.
1982–83: 687 inches of snow
The winter of 1982–83 is the strongest El Niño on record and Alta received a ton of snow. The seasonal snowfall total of 687 inches doesn't tell the full story, as snow kept falling and temperatures stayed cold well into May, beyond Alta's seasonal snowfall period. In fact, May 19, 1983 held the record for deepest settled snow depth (236 inches) at the Collins Study Plot for forty years until April 5, 2023 (248 inches) during the 903-inch winter.
The Super El Niño of 1982–83 contributed to the massive flooding that occurred throughout Salt Lake City in May 1983. A snowy, cold and prolonged winter stored massive amounts of water in the snowpack of Little Cottonwood Canyon and the Wasatch. A spike in temperatures triggered a sudden meltdown of the snowpack, overwhelming reservoirs, streams and drainages. State Street in Salt Lake City became a makeshift river as people kayaked the sandbag-lined thoroughfare.
Season summary: Super duper, minus the flooding
1997–98: 659.5 inches of snow
The 1997–98 season was another top 10 season in the 46-year history of the Collins Study Plot. Following a snowy October, the season started fairly slowly until a series of big storms arrived in January and February. On January 18, 1998, avalanche mitigation triggered a slide that hit the Alta Peruvian Lodge. February 1998 was the snowiest February on record. The season concluded with a snowy and cold spring.
Season summary: Super, minus a tricky snowpack and big avalanche cycles
2015–16: 438.5 inches
After a lousy 2014–15 season, the 2015–16 season is a cautionary tale of Super El Niño stoke. The winter started slowly before a big December and January. Just as it seemed the Super El Niño spigot might turn on, nothing much happened. A few late-spring storms delivered the biggest storm cycles of the season, but seasonal snowfall and settled snow depth totals were both well below average.
Season summary: Not so super
2023-24: 628 inches (a strong, but not Super El Niño)
Falling just shy of Super El Niño status, the 2023–24 season was the perfect encore to the record-shattering 903-inch season. It snowed a lot, but not too much. The season once again started slow, but average December snow was followed by above-average snowfall in January, February and March. February 2024 was the wettest February on record.
Season summary: Super, even if it technically wasn't
January 8, 2024: Jacqueline Pollard does her best Super El Niño impression | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
In conclusion, similar Super El Niño patterns have provided two big seasons and one below-average winter. We can never be sure what Mother Nature has in store for us on any week, month or across a full season. Heck, over the past four seasons, we've experienced both the snowiest—903 inches—and least-snowiest—321 inches—seasons on record.
A Super El Niño winter allows us to dream about the deep powder days to come. It will be a topic of conversation when we reunite with our winter friends. It'll be in the back of our minds every time we check the forecast to see whether an approaching storm splits or intensifies. It's yet another reason to buy the season pass or book a vacation and hope for the best.
Your Preseason Checklist ✔
As we count down the days until the first chair of our 89th winter, run through this preseason checklist and catch up on our offseason updates.
1. Reload Your Season Passes
Our fall pricing deadline has passed, but there's still plenty of time to order your Alta Season Pass—or Season Pass Alternatives—and make plans to join our 89th season. From Alta Family Packages to pay-as-you-ski Alta Gold Cards to reloadable Powder and 10-Day Cards, we offer a variety of season pass products to fit your family's winter wish list.
Help us reduce waste by reloading your Alta lift ticket or season pass online. Reloading your current pass allows you to skip the ticket window and head straight for the lift.
Reload Your Alta Season Pass
2. Secure Your Parking Reservations
Parking reservations are now live for the 2026–27 season. Parking reservations will be required Friday–Sunday & Holiday Periods from 8am–1pm, beginning December 11th and running through early April—and on Closing Day.
Our fall parking release is a partial release of reservations—the majority of reservations will open weekly during the season. During the ski season, additional parking reservations are released every Sunday at 3pm (MST)—set a reminder.
In case you missed it, we have implemented a few changes to improve the parking reservation system by capping the number of active paid reservations per account and increasing enforcement of no-shows.
A maximum of four (4) active—free and paid—reservations per account at any time
If available, same-day reservations can be made and don't count towards your limit of four
Missed a parking reservation? Your first no-show is a warning. After that, a $100 fee applies for each no-show
Skiers will receive a parking reminder SMS text message 24 hours before their parking reservation starts
By enforcing no-shows and capping the maximum number of reservations per account at four, we hope these changes will help foster a more fluid and dynamic parking reservation system.
3. Enroll in the Alf Engen Ski School
The Alf Engen Ski School is offering a full slate of lessons, camps and programs for the 2026–27 season. Our Kid's Season-Long Programs, Adult Camps and Women's Camps are filling up quickly and reservations are now open Adult and Kid's Class Lessons.
Adult Day Camps and Season-Long Program registration opens October 21st. A few highlights from the 2026–27 Alf Engen Ski School course catalog:
Enroll in the Alf Engen Ski School
4. Gear Up at the Alta Ski Shop
Beginning October 16th, the Alta Ski Shop in the Albion Day Lodge will be open daily from 8:30am–5pm. Preseason is the best time to get geared up or tuned up at the Alta Ski Shop. Take advantage of preseason deals on last year's demo skis and outerwear. Or snag some Alta-branded swag.
Alta Ski Shop in the Albion Day Lodge
5. Check Out Our New Online Retail Store
Speaking of swag. This summer, we overhauled our online retail store where you can shop for Alta-branded gear. Keep an eye out for new styles and new product lines dropping throughout this fall and early winter.
6. Start Your Alta Story
We are still accepting job applications for the 2026–27 season. Join independently-owned Alta Ski Area and start your own Alta story with a team of passionate skiers.
7. Start Planning Your Trip
Bring your family. Bring your friends. Or just bring yourself, and experience a natural mountain environment with a rich history of deep powder. Alta boasts a collection of unique, independently owned lodges, condos and vacation homes with incredible views and ski-in/ski-out accessibility.
8. Get Involved in the Alta Community
Alta Ski Area and Alta Community Enrichment (ACE) are hosting some great community events this fall.
Summer & Fall Project Updates
We’ve been keeping busy this offseason working on myriad projects across departments and around the mountain while logging long days in the field to meet our revegetation and reforestation goals while engaging with the community through environmental education and summer stewardship events.
Albion Day Lodge Expansion
Alta skiers will discover new spaces to relax, dine and enjoy the stunning scenery around the Albion base area this winter. Concluding a multi-year construction project, the Albion Day Lodge renovation and expansion will be completed for Opening Day of the 2026–27 season. Enormous windows and mountain views frame 3,400 square feet of additional dining space and expanded patio seating for the Albion Grill. Connected by a glass breezeway, the existing dining space is being fully remodeled to match the aesthetic of the new addition.
September 30th: Albion Day Lodge expansion | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
The building’s exterior is intended to complement the rugged landscape and natural elements of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Avalanche shutters constructed from pinewood locally sourced by our trail crews will adorn the windows. The trail crew also repurposed local timber to build a handful of small café tables for Alta Java coffee lovers to sip warm beverages while enjoying views of Mount Superior.
New Grizzly Gulch Restrooms
Big D Construction has generously donated resources and labor for the construction of a heated, year-round public restroom near the Grizzly Gulch trailhead. This exciting development will be a huge boon for backcountry users and hikers while helping maintain watershed health and integrity.
Wildcat Parking Lot
Speaking of parking, you may a few changes in the Wildcat lot. Crews are adding a small number of new parking spaces along the north side of the Wildcat parking lot. The Wildcat lot was repaved this summer. Please help us maintain this facelift by keeping grills and open flames off the pavement.
More Traverse Work
Hand-cutting and widening of the High Traverse and Ballroom Traverse will continue for the third summer to optimize access to some of Alta's best powder skiing terrain. The Ballroom Traverse will be slightly widened and subtly regraded to help reduce early Ballroom choke points and curtail wind erosion.
Snowmaking Lines in Collins Gulch
July 19th: Upgrading aging snowmaking lines in Collins Gulch | Photo: Adam Fehr
Our crews replaced aging snowmaking lines between Watson Shelter and the Corkscrew ski run. These upgrades help our systems remain efficient in terms of energy and water use.
Summer Stewardship and Environmental Education Events
In an effort to advance our summer stewardship goals, the Alta Environmental Center (AEC) enlisted the help of community volunteers and fellow Alta employees to protect and preserve our slopes through hands-on restoration projects. In partnership with local organizations, we also hosted a variety of educational events that encouraged people of all ages and abilities to explore and connect with their natural playground. Across 24 educational and stewardship events, we welcomed 2,210 participants and volunteers—fostering environmental awareness and inspiring the next generation of Alta skiers to care for the places they love.
Revegetation Projects
Throughout the summer months of June through August, the AEC team carefully hand-planted 10,525 native seedlings across previously disturbed areas of Alta’s slopes—continuing our commitment to restoring and protecting the mountain’s natural landscape.
Upper Sleepy Hollow: This summer marked the third and final year of active restoration on Upper Sleepy Hollow in the Supreme area—formerly known as Erosion Gullies—following a slope regrade in 2023. Over the three-year restoration period, the area received 11,793 native plants and 221 shrubs and will continue to be monitored and maintained in the years ahead.
Supreme Snowmaking Line: The AEC completed its third and final year of active restoration following the replacement of snowmaking infrastructure in 2023. Since restoration began, 2,431 native plants have been planted along this corridor, with ongoing monitoring and maintenance planned.
Mambo: Following terrain modifications in 2024, the AEC completed its second year of restoration on Mambo, planting 1,017 native seedlings this summer to support the slope’s recovery.
Transfer Tow: The AEC began its first year of restoration following the replacement of snowmaking infrastructure in 2025. This project introduced a new approach combining hydroseeding with the supplemental hand-planting of 2,000 native seedlings to support revegetation.
Base Area: Ongoing restoration along the Wildcat and Albion base areas
June 11th: AEC employees watering native plant seedlings in the Wildcat Nursery | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
Every modification to Alta’s landscape is carefully planned with the understanding that once disturbed, the land may never fully return to its original state. While some changes are necessary, our responsibility to care for the mountain remains constant. Every area of disturbed soil—no matter how large or small—falls under the AEC’s care, receiving three years of intensive revegetation followed by long-term monitoring and maintenance. Through this commitment, we strive to give back to the landscape as much as, if not more than, we take from it.
Reforestation Effort
Reforestation is a deeply rooted Alta tradition, dating back to 1933, when the Civilian Conservation Corps began restoring land stripped bare by decades of mining. More than 90 years later, the AEC continues this legacy through annual tree planting efforts that promote native species age diversity and improve overall forest health. This fall, 1,166 trees were hand-planted across Alta’s landscape, strengthening the resilience of our mountain forests for generations to come.
September 12th: Alta Tree Planting Day | Photo: Adam Fehr
Tree Planting Highlights:
177 Engelmann spruce saplings harvested from the groomed runs of Devil’s Way and Keyhole Face and transplanted to the AEC's tree nursery for future restoration efforts
51 Engelmann spruce saplings—harvested in 2025—were transplanted from the nursery along the former Supreme lift line
49 aspen trees were planted along the former Supreme lift line
57 Douglas-fir saplings were planted along the former Supreme lift line
1,000 Engelmann spruce saplings—grown from seeds collected at Alta—were planted across the mountain during our annual Alta Tree Planting Day in partnership with the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation and TreeUtah
The Long History of Alta's Tree Planting Days >
Repurposing Lumber with the Trail Crew
The trail crew has been busy removing hazardous trees in the ski area. These trees were damaged by storms, dead trees, and trees that threaten the lifts or the Albion Basin Campground. The crew moved the hazard trees to the Alta lumber mill near the Lower Albion Meadows Trail. The trail crew is still milling lumber for snow fencing and other on-mountain projects.
The trail crew has been milling lumber for on-mountain projects throughout Alta Ski Area.
Snow fences and bridges
Albion Day Lodge expansion
Alta Ski Shop shelving and wainscotting
New benches and tables
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