With limited terrain available at Park City Mountain so far this season, skiers and riders have been funneled into fewer lifts and runs as crews work to expand terrain amid weather conditions that complicate daily opening decisions, resort officials said. “Even with a slower terrain progressio n, our overall approach to ramping up the mountain hasn’t fundamentally changed,” the resort said in a statement. “We continue to prioritize the lifts and runs experience has taught us are the most meaningful to open as quickly as possible.” Keeping with the phased opening progression, the resort said, that process is still in place this season, only weather has slowed how quickly it can unfold. Over the past several weeks, much of northern Utah has seen extended stretches of mild temperatures where daytime highs have often climbed well above seasonal averages and overnight cooling has been inconsistent, especially at lower elevations. That variability has forced mountain operations teams to stay particularly flexible with limited snowmaking windows.  In response, Park City Mountain has focused less on opening terrain in isolation and more on building connections that improve skier flow and allow guests to spread out across the mountain, the resort said. “Balancing the quality and durability of snow surfaces with the high demand for terrain on busy days has meant making more dynamic, real-time calls than in a typical season. In some cases, that has included opening terrain for peak periods and then temporarily stepping back to take advantage of narrow weather windows that allow us to strengthen the base on high-impact runs,” said the resort.  With much of the mountain still closed, reliable connections between terrain areas are especially important to the resort. In the Payday and Crescent zone, where only a small number of trails were available, opening the Bonanza Lift became a necessary, early step to help skiers move across the mountain and reach higher elevation terrain with more options. Completing that connection, however, proved challenging. At lower elevations, temperatures did not stay cold enough for snowmaking crews to build and hold the coverage needed along the final access road to the lift. Instead, snow surfaces crews worked alongside ski patrol to transport snow from higher elevations down to the lower mountain, using snowcats to physically move material into place in time to open the lift on Dec. 20.  “Our teams have truly gone above and beyond this season, working collaboratively to problem-solve and stay agile amid constantly changing conditions,” said the resort.  With the Bonanza lift open, skiers can access additional terrain served by the lift itself, as well as the Pioneer and McConkey’s lifts, which opened early this week, offering higher elevation terrain above 9,500 feet, helping spread skiers out and relieve pressure on lower mountain zones. “Crews are constantly evaluating conditions, adjusting plans, and staying ready to pivot quickly to keep progress moving forward. This approach is guided by a long-term mindset focused on making sure terrain not only opens, but holds up and skis well through the remainder of the season,” said the resort.  As part of its effort to reconnect Mountain Village and Canyons Village bases, the resort also opened the Silverlode lift Wednesday morning with access to the Claimjumper run, taking another step toward bringing the Quicksilver Gondola connector online, and bringing the total trail availability to 49 of the mountain’s 349 runs as of Wednesday.  The slower-than-usual terrain expansion has also affected staffing across the mountain. With limited terrain to patrol, operate and maintain, many seasonal employees, like ski patrol and lift operations staff, have remained in a holding pattern as they wait to be called back to work as additional terrain comes online.  “The best weather patterns are cold ones that bring natural snow with them,” the resort said. “If we are not getting natural snow, we hope for temperatures that stay cold around the clock. The most efficient temperature for making snow is in the mid-teens and the warmest temperatures we can make snow at is a wet bulb of 28 degrees.” Forecasts again call for mild conditions to persist over the next week, with temperatures running above seasonal norms during the day and limited overnight cooling. A midweek weather system is expected to bring some moisture, with rain possible at lower elevations and snow in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service. But in short, while some snow is possible, prolonged cold, the kind that allows continuous snowmaking, is still uncertain. The post Park City Mountain pushes terrain expansion amid fickle weather conditions appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less