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Snow has been below average for parts of the West but this week features a big change. (Brighton Resort/Facebook)

A much colder and snowier weather pattern returns to the West with feet of snow while the East warms up with more mixed precipitation.

All New Mexico resorts have discounted lessons. (Ski New Mexico/Facebook)

Ski and snowboard resorts all want more people on the slopes, and one way is to introduce newcomers to the sport.

The White Bear at Deer Valley. (Deer Valley) 

Whether you love powder or corduroy, groomers or trees, one of the best treats after a day on the snow is an après-ski cocktail. SnoCountry.com did some tough research and discovered some of our favorite signature resort cocktails.

A keystone holiday getaway is a good bet. (Keystone)

The B-rolls of early snowfall photos have started, and the usual suspects have already dropped their ropes on a new season. So the next question is: Where to ski and snowboard during the holiday season?

"Bury the Butte." (Crested Butte/Facebook)

Starting in the Sierra and moving across the Wasatch to the Colorado Rockies, a dozen Pacific-laden storms unleashed their largesse in January to set up skiers and snowboarders for the rest of the season.

Snowbird is one of four Wasatch resorts that fill their parking lots to the brim. (Snowbird/Facebook)

The bus system of the Utah Transit Authority will narrow its focus this winter in order to get more skiers and snowboarders on the slopes more efficiently.

That means more bus trips up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta and Snowbird, and more runs up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Solitude and Brighton. It also means no direct service for visitors staying in downtown hotels or local city dwellers.

That quartet of ski resorts has always been within easy reach of Salt Lake City and environs, but they have been hampered by heavy congested traffic and a lack of consistent bus service up the narrow canyon roads.

To that end, the UTA has decided to eliminate direct ski resort service from downtown hotels. Instead, it will increase service by 35 percent from three light rail stations in south Salt Lake City as the jumping-off point for buses into the mountains. Connections at Murray Central and Historic Sandy stations head up to Snowbird and Alta, while buses loading at Bingham Junction Station go to Solitude and Brighton.

UTA officials contend that connections from the light rail stations will entice more people to park there, as opposed to the smaller, more cramped lots at the canyons’ base.

During peak hours of 7 to 10 a.m., buses will run every 15 minutes from the parking lots at the base of the two canyons. In the afternoon between 3 and 6 p.m., they will run from the four resorts to the parking lots at the mouth of the canyons.

UTA also will ramp up weekend service during peak hours to diminish both vehicle traffic on access routes and crowded buses.

During off-peak hours, UTA has upped the frequency to every 30 minutes – again, an effort to spread out the number of riders on these busy routes.

A one-way adult fare is $4.50, or $2.25 for seniors. For a map and schedule, click here. 

All across ski nation, winter mountain resorts are devising ways to grow the sport by keeping kids and beginners coming back to the slopes. Utah is no exception.

On any given day at winter resorts in the West, dozens of people on skis, snowshoes or foot can be seen heading out of the base area to get in a run within resort boundaries without riding the lift.

From British Columbia to Arizona – and most everywhere in between – you can hear the yips and yelps as the 2015-2016 western skiing and snowboarding season begins with a bang.

The first dustings are on the highest peaks, and resorts across the West are in the midst of early season ticket discounts. In Utah, the mélange of choices for multi-day tickets -- local, regional and national -- is greater than ever.

The urge to hit the slopes comes early this time of year, so Brighton Resort’s pre-season terrain park in Utah might be just the antidote for those with a preseason jones for a kicker or a rail.

Utah’s controversial Mountain Accord plan got off the ground in July with the unanimous endorsement of a quartet of proposed land swaps between Utah ski and snowboard resorts and the U.S. Forest Service. The land exchanges at Alta, Snowbird, Solitude and Brighton signal a commitment for backcountry conservation among elected officials, government agencies, and representatives of private business and non-profit organizations.

The Summit Express at Solitude Mountain Resort has been both the lift of choice for black-diamond powder hounds … and somewhat of a hassle to get to.

Conversations have begun in earnest to figure out how to more efficiently connect Salt Lake City with seven of Utah’s ski and snowboard resorts -- and reduce environmental impact at the same time.

Late-season snow storms have been rolling into Utah mountains, making it difficult to hang up the skis and snowboards but easy for resorts to stay open.

The long-pondered connection among seven resorts in the Wasatch Mountains became an official “concept” March 19, as executives at each resort joined hands in support of the project.

Many season passes add extra value through discounted rentals, food, ski shop apparel, and other perks, but several Heartland season passes also include alliances with western and eastern ski resorts. Check them out. There are some good benefits if you’re planning a ski vacation outside the Midwest this winter.

Sometimes you just can’t keep track of all the multi-resort season pass deals without a scorecard. Now you can add the Big Cottonwood Pass to the list, offering Solitude and Brighton every day of the season, plus nights at Brighton. 

If you’re on the slopes of Brighton or Park City Mountain Resort at the end of this month you might wonder what all the cameras and trucks are up to. Nope, it’s not Warren Miller or TGR hunting for epic powder stashes.