It may be June, but high in the mountains across the West, the flakes are still flying.
Over the weekend, on Sunday morning, summer snow dusted the peaks of ski resorts in Salt Lake City’s Cottonwood Canyons, making for an arresting sight.
“Early start to the preseason,” Brighton Resort wrote in a social media post, sharing webcam footage from the top of its Crest chairlift. “Just kidding, but it did snow near the top of the mountain today.”
The post prompted a few comments (jokingly) asking about Brighton’s early-season jib park, the Bonezone. Obviously, the resort would’ve needed a few more inches or feet to make that happen, but for skiers eagerly waiting for the start of next season, it’s fun to dream this time of year.
One canyon over, Alta Ski Area also benefited from the brief return of winter.
The snow arrived early in the day, and, for a few hours, it could’ve been October or November in Albion Basin. By the end of Sunday, though, most of the snow had melted away under the sun, leaving behind a few high-altitude patches.
Alta Ski Area
Further north, in the area around Montana’s Big Sky resort, a winter weather warning was in effect through Monday afternoon with more than six inches of wet snow possible at higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Sunday night, snow was still drifting past Big Sky’s Lone Peak Tram webcam.
Big Sky
The chilly weather should be short-lived.
By the end of this week, forecasters expect temperatures in the mid-60s and clear skies at Alta. Temperatures are set to climb in the Big Sky area, too.
The brief burst comes after a challenging and often snowless winter for the West’s ski resorts. Some years, ski areas like Mammoth Mountain and Palisades Tahoe, California, are open for skiing into June or even later. But this season, they’ve already wrapped up the snow sports side of their operations.
Still, Timberline Lodge, Oregon, remains open for skiing (and also got some snow). So does Banff Sunshine Village, Alberta, which, after a memorably snowy winter, opted to reopen for a few weeks of summer skiing. The resort plans to keep the party going through July 5.
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