In Vermont, temperatures are higher in March than in other months with heavy snow (3 C is the average high and minus 7 is the average low), and there's also more daylight and fewer crowds on the slopes. But nearly 85 per cent of the state's ski trails have been open for the entire month of March over the last three seasons, according to Ski Vermont.
It's also a way to save money, because lift ticket prices are lower. More than 10 ski areas offer tickets for US$39 or less and many also offer ski and stay packages. Details on March deals at SkiVermont.com.
In Colorado, March and April offer sunshine, blue skies and lots of snow, along with plenty of special events on the slope. Among the events: Powderhorn hosts "Young At Heart" parties for skiers and riders 50 and over, March 5, 12 and 19. Telluride has free concerts March 5, 12 and 19, 3-5 p.m. at Heritage Plaza.
On March 14, Copper Mountain hosts a resort street party, the O'Fuego & St. Patrick's Day Celebration, with entertainment, a parade and fireworks. End-of-season events include Springalicious at Steamboat, April 11-12, Sunsation at Copper, April 11-12 and 18-19, and an Easter egg hunt at Arapahoe Basin, April 12.
The Bud Light Spring Jam at Aspen/Snowmass, the last two weekends of March, made it onto Ski.com's list of top five spring ski destinations, with a package available through March 29 at Ski.com (package code 9049) that includes four nights lodging in a ski-in, ski-out two-bedroom condo with the fourth night free, and a three-day lift ticket. The package starts at $714 per person based on quadruple occupancy.
The other destinations on Ski.com's top five list are Breckenridge, Colo.'s Spring Massive festival, April 1-19; Spring Gruv, March 27-April 1, in Park City, Utah, at The Canyons Resort; Spring Back to Vail, in Colorado, April 13-19, which includes the World Pond Skimming Championships, and Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia's TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, April 17-26. Ski.com has packages for the events at these resorts and others.
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