Vail Resorts has announced a 20% decrease in their Epic season passes for the 2021-22 ski season, and that also includes their Epic local passes at all their Midwest ski areas. A little bit of good news for those skiers that like to mainly ski local.

Lower Midwest ski areas in Indiana and Missouri attract southern skiers from Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.

Here are five Midwest cities with day trip worthy ski areas, all within three hours or less. Arriving mid-week you avoid large weekend crowds. Get an early start and enjoy some uncrowded slope time.

Most Heartland ski areas and resorts are not planning on requiring reservations for daily access to the slopes, but are saying if you wait you may run into sold-out periods. Season pass holders will have priority access through reservations.

Indiana's Perfect North Slopes acquired West Virginia's Timberline Four Seasons Resort at an auction in November last year with a bid of $2.2 million. Timberline had filed for bankruptcy earlier last year when it abruptly closed for the 1918/19 season at the end of February. At the time Perfect North said they planned on having it open next season with substantial improvements.

Over the next few weeks six Midwest ski areas are hosting women’s ski and snowboard clinics. It's a great chance to brush up before heading west on your spring trip.

Perfect North Slopes, located in southern Indiana along the Kentucky border a stone's throw away from Cincinnati, is a lower Midwest ski area that has more in common with its northern brethren in Michigan.

Indiana's Perfect North Slopes is expanding its territory with the acquisition of West Virginia's Timberline Four Seasons Resort. It was purchased at an auction on November 20 with a bid of $2.2 million. Timberline had filed for bankruptcy earlier in the year when it abruptly closed for the 1918/19 season at the end of February.

For Midwestern skiers that like to get in a lot of slope time around the country outside the Heartland, a few new options are available for this season.

The recent cold snap to hit the Heartland brought with it some great snow conditions for Midwest ski areas. The coldest weather that forced many to suspend operations for two or three days fortunately came midweek. The bookend weekends brought out good crowds with great slope conditions.

Several ski areas located near Midwest major cities are hosting female ski clinics over the next month. Enjoy that slope time even more with improved form and confidence.

The 2018-19 winter is off to a great start all across the Midwest. Most ski areas across the upper tier of the Heartland and around the Great Lakes opened in November, and the rest across the Lower Midwest, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri, opened this past weekend or scheduled to open next weekend.

Heartland big-city skiers and riders sometimes have to drive a little further to find a ski hill worthy for playing midweek hooky. But, hooky-worthy ski areas are around, and arriving mid-week you avoid the large weekend crowds.

Participants can reach speeds of 30 mph on the luge run. (Muskegon Winter Sports Complex)

With the Olympics taking place next month ever thought about trying a luge run? It always looks pretty exciting during the competition.

Three lower Midwest ski areas have some fun events coming up later this month. Clinics, family festivals and the Heartland’s first winter carnival take place in February.

Lower Midwest ski areas in Indiana and Missouri attract Dixie State snowsports enthusiasts from Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.

The 2014/15 season got off to a great start when one of the snowiest Novembers on record roared into the Midwest, but from there on it was a bit of a roller coaster ride.

Starting this weekend into early March, several ski areas across the Midwest are hosting fun- filled spring carnivals, pond skimming, and classic cardboard downhills. Here are some of the best:

Women are taking center stage at several ski areas around the Heartland over the next few weeks as seven resorts are hosting female specific events and clinics this coming weekend and next month. Leading off are a couple Indiana ski areas, Perfect North Slopes and Paoli Peaks, which are hosting events this weekend.

Popular rail jams hosted by Heartland Olympians Louie Vito and Nick Goepper roll out this week at Ohio’s Mad River Mountain, Saturday, Dec. 27, and Indiana’s Perfect North Slopes, Friday, Dec. 26.