Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
EDEN, Weber County — Powder Mountain ski resort will close for night skiing Friday and day skiing on Saturday, due to powerful wind gusts as weather experts warn of systems that could dump 2 or more feet of snow in some mountainous areas of Utah and bring high winds.
Likewise, Deer Valley in Park City and Snowbasin in the Huntsville area reported Friday that some of their lifts, though not all, had been closed at least temporarily due to strong winds. Solitude Mountain Resort in Brighton said in a Facebook post that the windy stormy conditions could prompt closure of its Summit Express chairlift on Saturday or delay its opening.
A post on the Powder Mountain's Facebook page warned of strong winds gusting up to 70 mph. "Extreme winds make lift operations unsafe. The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority," it states.
A Snowbasin tweet on Friday reported gusts in excess of 60 mph. "Windy day at Snowbasin with multiple lifts down due to gusts into the 60s. These winds are expected to continue through tomorrow with a new storm rolling in," it read.
Conditions could ease up by Saturday night, Powder Mountain's post said, allowing the resort to reopen. "If the winds calm down in the afternoon, we will be open for night skiing tomorrow, March 2nd," Powder Mountain said.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory late Friday morning impacting the Wasatch Back, including the Huntsville, Park City and Heber City areas, warning of winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts of up to 55 mph.
Here's what to expect as remnants of California blizzard head to Utah
A storm arriving in Utah this weekend has now sparked a flurry of winter storm warnings and watches across Utah."High winds may move loose debris, damage property and cause power outages. Travel will be difficult due to crosswinds, especially for high-profile vehicles and vehicles with trailers. Blowing dust may reduce visibility," the warning, in effect until 5 p.m. Saturday, states.
The National Weather Service has also issued a winter storm warning in effect from late Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon for the Wasatch Back. Heavy snow is expected, according to the warning, and some areas of the impacted zone could get 8 to 16 inches of white stuff. The storm warning impacts the Heber City, Park City and Huntsville areas and zones further north, including the Bear Lake area and Bear River Valley.
