Terrain, Lift Status & Alerts
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Please visit the Hours of Operations page for a complete list of our winter hours.
Why do lifts go on wind hold?
A lift is placed on wind hold because it becomes unsafe to continue to load it with guests. Factors include a combination of high wind velocities and the wind direction. Unsafe conditions include the potential for chairs or cabins to impact towers or to experience problems upon entering terminals and possibility of the cable de-roping.
The Operations staff uses custom forecasting to predict the effects of wind events and tries to cease operations before guest safety is compromised. Weather can change very quickly in the mountains and occasionally the rapid, unexpected closure of lifts may be warranted.
Our lifts are strategically positioned on the mountains so that, at times, the wind direction may effect one lift but not another. During wind events one lift may have to close while another can continue to run. Wind speeds may also vary with elevation; during this type of storm, lower lifts may typically continue to operate while summit lifts cannot.
What happens when a lift is placed on wind hold?
After a qualified lift technician places the lift on wind hold, the public stops loading the lift. The lift runs until all passengers have unloaded (this may take some time since the lift will likely be running slowly). Guests are then redirected to lifts that are still in service. On certain lifts, chairs or cabins may then be placed into storage to prevent damage from swing impacts.
How does a wind hold end?
Once the lift has stopped, a qualified lift technician will reevaluate every 30 minutes, or sooner, to see if it can be safely reopened. As soon as conditions improve and the lift can run, staff will load the lift to perform a safety evaluation. Once this line check has been successfully performed, the lift will reopen to the public.
When a wind hold extends late into the afternoon, with little or no forecasted abatement, a lift may close for the day. Fortunately, this does not happen often.
A lift is placed on wind hold because it becomes unsafe to continue to load it with guests. Factors include a combination of high wind velocities and the wind direction. Unsafe conditions include the potential for chairs or cabins to impact towers or to experience problems upon entering terminals and possibility of the cable de-roping.
The Operations staff uses custom forecasting to predict the effects of wind events and tries to cease operations before guest safety is compromised. Weather can change very quickly in the mountains and occasionally the rapid, unexpected closure of lifts may be warranted.
Our lifts are strategically positioned on the mountains so that, at times, the wind direction may effect one lift but not another. During wind events one lift may have to close while another can continue to run. Wind speeds may also vary with elevation; during this type of storm, lower lifts may typically continue to operate while summit lifts cannot.
What happens when a lift is placed on wind hold?
After a qualified lift technician places the lift on wind hold, the public stops loading the lift. The lift runs until all passengers have unloaded (this may take some time since the lift will likely be running slowly). Guests are then redirected to lifts that are still in service. On certain lifts, chairs or cabins may then be placed into storage to prevent damage from swing impacts.
How does a wind hold end?
Once the lift has stopped, a qualified lift technician will reevaluate every 30 minutes, or sooner, to see if it can be safely reopened. As soon as conditions improve and the lift can run, staff will load the lift to perform a safety evaluation. Once this line check has been successfully performed, the lift will reopen to the public.
When a wind hold extends late into the afternoon, with little or no forecasted abatement, a lift may close for the day. Fortunately, this does not happen often.