It has certainly been a season for the record books so far and there are still many more months to go. Epic storms over the past few weeks, some resulting in over 8 FEET of fresh snow on the ski slopes in just two days, have provided most of the Western US and Canadian ski resorts with incredible ski conditions not seen in decades. The 16-17 Ski Season is destined to go down as one of the best ever, that is, if you like fresh powder. Consider some of the snow totals so far for the month of January at some of the more popular resorts, with 15-17 feet at some of the Lake Tahoe Resorts leading the pack:

• Aspen/Snowmass- 6 Feet
• Breckenridge- 5 Feet
• Copper Mountain- 5 Feet
• Crested Butte- 9 Feet
• Heavenly- 17 Feet
• Jackson Hole- 3.5 Feet
• Keystone- 5 Feet
• Park City- 7.5 Feet
• Squaw- 15 Feet
• Steamboat- 6 Feet
• Telluride- 4 Feet
• Vail/Beaver Creek- 3.5 Feet

These are truly some amazing numbers and the month is merely half over! Conditions on the ski slopes at just about every Western ski resort are as good as it gets, with most resorts struggling to keep up with the abundance of snowfall. In fact, last week saw some resorts actually having to close some or all of their terrain because of too much snow! Arapahoe Basin, Crested Butte, and Wolf Creek in Colorado actually had to close for the day so the ski patrol could get caught up on securing the slopes form avalanche danger and the road crews could make sure the surrounding roads were safe to travel. Resorts in Lake Tahoe, like Kirkwood which boasted an astounding 4 foot snow total on January 11, had to close terrain so they could dig out the chairlifts (yes, snow was actually so high it was covering the chairs!). Steeper terrain at many of the resorts remained closed for several days as ski patrol worked diligently on avalanche control to ensure slope safety. Powder days were enjoyed several days after the storms as terrain was reopened following the avalanche control and mitigation work. 

Guess what. There is more snow on the way! If you do not have a trip out West planned yet, get on it. Steady snowstorms like we have been experiencing do happen, but not typically in the abundance we have been seeing this year. You do not want to miss out on this epic ski season and it is not too late to make your plans. Hope to see you on the slopes, or at least your head above all the powder!

"When it snows so much that ski areas have to close, you know there’s been a lot of snow.

And it’s so much snow that some experts say, by the end of January, we could see more snow than we’ve seen in more than 100 years."

KUSA Channel 9NEWS