Friday January 11, 2019 was the snow sports industry’s first National Learn to Ski or Snowboard Day at resorts throughout the U.S. Many resorts offered special deals for newcomers to take beginner lessons from professional instructors as a way to celebrate the sports. 

With almost 300 inches of snow so far this season, Utah’s Snowbird Resort is well on its way to exceeding its annual average of 500 inches and primed for skiing and riding well into May.

Taking a flight to a major airport in the West is just the first step to getting onto the ski and snowboard mountain.

A storm that may end up being the largest from coast-to-coast is already underway. From blizzard conditions in California to feet in the East, we’ve got the entire breakdown here for where to ski and ride in the coming week.

From efficient snowmaking to recycle stations to wind and solar generation, ski and snowboard resorts know that their survival depends upon reducing the effects of climate change.

For any skier or rider, their bucket list includes not only visits to renowned resorts but also taking a run down a trail they've heard about for a long time. Here's SnoCountry's shot at those trails.

We watch Olympians on TV every four years, but you don’t have to wait that long to rub elbows with skiing stardom. Several mountain resorts around the country offer opportunities to ski with their most prominent athlete ambassadors, and learn the slopes from a pro perspective.

Industry statistics say that one quarter of parents who head to the hills in the winter do so with snowboards – and they want their children to learn to ride so they can enjoy the slopes in similar fashion.

The 11th annual Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, going on now, has a new twist. Resorts across the U.S. are gearing up for a special celebration Friday, Jan. 11 – the first National Learn to Ski or Snowboard Day. 

As we bid a fond farewell to 2018, the editors at SnoCountry take a look at the news that shaped skiing and riding at mountain resorts across North America over the year.

At Powder Mountain, the options for putting your tracks on unfettered powder snow just got larger – some 70,000 acres larger.

Christmas in the mountains runs deep with traditions. But a number of resorts try to work outside the box and be creative with their celebrations.

“Wow, that’s inspiring but I don’t think my knees will last that long!” exclaimed a thirty-something dude on the chairlift.

I had shared that I had just photographed members of the 70+ Ski Club racing, including some in their eighties and nineties.

Some of the prime powder steeps on Park City Mountain will be closed until further notice because a private landowner and Vail Resorts have not reached a new lease agreement.

Everyone knows what a rush it is to have a full day of skiing and riding, but often you still have the rhythm in your bones even after the lifts close. Enter the apres-ski music scene at mountain resorts.

SnoCountry scanned the West and came up with a sampling of apres-ski spots where the rockin’ goes on long past the final run of the day.

Kids instinctually love to play in the snow, and you can share with them the thrill and camaraderie of a day on the slopes, the anticipation of new fallen snow that blankets the world white, the exhilaration of turns on skis. All across the country, you can find programs that offer a chance for kids to try out skiing and riding, most with just a small fee to get started.

Thanksgiving weekend will be especially tasty in the western United States and Canada with multiple helpings of snow storms.

There’s no shortage of luxurious hotels in the West that will indulge your every need. SnoCountry took a look around and came up with a quintet of the hotels that coddle and pander with the best.

More mobility around the base of Alta, an on-mountain learning center at Park City Mountain, and lodge renovations at Snowbasin highlight the first-to-open resorts in Utah.

A number of double-digit snowfalls coursed across Colorado in early November, giving four resorts in Colorado and one in Utah a chance to open early.