Colorado Expecting Major Storm Tomorrow!

Heavenly, Calif./Nev. – Dec. 15, 2008 – Winter doesn’t officially arrive until Dec. 22, but try telling that to skiers and snowboarders who are enjoying the first powder turns of the season at Heavenly Mountain Resort today. The first major Tahoe-area snowstorm of the season delivered almost a foot-and-a-half to the Heavenly slopes since Friday (10 inches overnight) with another 10-15 inches expected today.

Thanks to the new snow, the Heavenly mountain operations team is opening new terrain today and expecting to open more terrain this week with more snow. The same storm that’s hitting Heavenly today is expected to move into Colorado tonight. Over the weekend, the Colorado resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone were hit with up to two feet of fresh powder and are bracing for another winter storm advisory tonight through 6 p.m. MST Tuesday. Since Dec. 1, Vail (www.vail.com) and Beaver Creek (www.beavercreek.com) have tallied more than four feet of snow and Beaver Creek is on track to break its December snowfall record.

Deep Snow, Deep Savings
Now is the time to book your last-minute holiday stay or January ski vacation. Airfares have dropped significantly in the past few weeks and Vail Resorts vacation planning experts recommend skiers and snowboarders take advantage of the falling prices and falling snow. The best bets:

* Last-minute holiday stays. A $149 Christmas vacation. Stay for $149 per night through Dec. 25 in the heart of the Vail Village at the Austria Haus Hotel. www.VailAllTheLove.com
* A post-holiday getaway. Look for deals the first full week of January (anytime after Jan. 4) – like the January Ski and Stay Package at Heavenly for just $85 per person, per night. www.skiheavenly.com
* Mid-January rates like the $99 room rates at Breckenridge and Keystone are a sure bet. www.snow.com for more information and restrictions.
* And, Mid-January airfares like:

Sample airfares for Reno Airport for access to Heavenly Mountain Resort:

Chicago, on Southwest from Chicago-Midway to Reno from $226 roundtrip.*

Sample airfares for Eagle/Vail airport for access to Vail and Beaver Creek:
Chicago, Daily non-stops on American from Chicago-O’Hare to Eagle Airport from $260 roundtrip.*

New York, Daily non-stops on American from JFK to Eagle Airport from $219 roundtrip.*

Sample airfares for Denver International Airport for access to Breckenridge and Keystone:

Chicago, on Southwest from Chicago-Midway to Denver International Airport from $188 roundtrip.*

Dallas-Ft. Worth, on Frontier from Dallas-Ft. Worth to Denver International Airport from $198 roundtrip.*

*Airfares quoted based on travel dates in mid-January, are subject to availability and may change at anytime.

For daily snow reports, deals or vacation planning tips for Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly, visit snow.com or sign up for Vail Resorts email newsletter online.