Killington in Vermont has said that the upcoming US Memorial Day Holiday weekend will be its last of the season for snowsports.
Killington is usually one of the first to open in Eastern North America in October or November and the last to close, making it in June for the first time in 15 years last season.
It stockpiles snow on one of its main ruins, building a deep base which withstands spring temperatures for weeks and months, opening at weekends through May. This weekend it has taken some skilful snow grooming to move the snow (above) in to a smooth run (below).
Killington is one of the last ski areas without a glacier to be open still for the 2017-18 ski season, Mammoth and Arapahoe Basin in California and Colorado respectively till are, as is Riksgransen in Northern Sweden is but will close this weekend as its snowpack has thawed away and not make its famous usual Midsummer opening.
Gassan in Japan is also open and Beartooth Basin in the US will open at the start of June and Val d'isere will re-open for two weeks of morning summer skiing on its winter slopes before switching to its glacier skiing.
Other areas calling it a day after this weekend include Engelberg in Switzerland (who still has over 6m/20 feet of snow lying on its glacier), Cervinia in Italy (although it will re-open for summer skiing in a month), Squaw Valley in California and Mt Bachelor in Oregon.
