Is it possible to have too much winter weather?
Alyeska Ski Resort Southeast of Anchorage, Alaska was forced to suspend operations Monday after a power outage.
Intense winds and extreme weather led to the resort ceasing all operations for the day. The National Weather Service reported winds that reached 100 mph on the Turnagain Arm.
“We are offering lift credits for another day at our ticket offices for all lift tickets purchased today,” the resort said on its Instagram page. “This decision to close is never made lightly, but the importance of the safety for our guests and staff is paramount.”
It was also a day scheduled to be military Monday. That, of course, had to be postponed as well, despite at least one Instagram poster urging the Alaskan weather to support the troops.
The power outage not only impacted lift operations, but the Nordic Spa and Hotel Alyeska pool, too, digital and PR marketing manager Abbey Brau told local news outlet KTUU.
Winds of more than 50 miles per hour were reported in the area. The day started with the northernmost lift and tram closed as a result of those high winds. A power outage map showed that there were more than 500 customers without power after about 1 p.m. on Monday. That’s more than 25% of all of the customers in the town, KTUU reported.
Not all is lost, though. All eight of Alyeska's chairlifts are scheduled to open on Tuesday. There are 36 of 76 trails open, 31 of which are groomed. Ski patrol is evaluating Chillkoot Knoll for a possible opening, and the Glacier Bowl Express is scheduled to close at 3:45 p.m.
“After closing for the storm yesterday, our teams are hard at work preparing the mountain for what’s looking to be an epic pow day up top!” the snow report said. “All lifts are scheduled to be operating today…Stay tuned for more updates.”
That heavy snow only reached the top of the mountain. A foot of snow has fallen at the top of GBX in the last 12 hours, but none of that has managed to find the middle of the mountain or the base.
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