Off The Beaten Path

Not Over Yet - 7th February 2006

FLAGSTAFF, AZ – February 7, 2006

The winter of 2005-2006 has not shaped up as the Arizona Snowbowl would like, only receiving 20 inches of snow year to date. But Snowbowl officials are not about to say that the season is done.

“With the incredible season we had last year, this is a tough way to follow up. There are thousands of passholders, hundreds of employees and many other skiers and snowboarders that want Snowbowl to open”, says Snowbowl’s GM, J.R. Murray. “We are not even half way through our average season, so there is plenty of time to finish off this winter strong, we just need the snow and we hope the weather patterns will soon change.”

Even though the daily temperatures have been warm, the overnight temperatures have been very favorable for snowmaking. This winter has shown why Arizona Snowbowl needs to make snow. “We would have been partially open by Thanksgiving and completely open by Christmas. With daytime highs in the 40’s and even the 50’s, the temperatures are below freezing at the ski area almost every night,” Murray added.

In the 1999-2000 season, Snowbowl opened for the season on February 25 and had an excellent finish of the season, with 180 inches of snowfall, half of its seasonal average.