A ski season is a period of time when skiing, snowboarding and other alpine sports are viable in an alpine resort. The season, in reality, corresponds to when ski lift

Ski lift

The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...

s are running and lift passes are available. Depending on the latitude

Latitude

In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...

 and altitude

Altitude

Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...

 of the resort, the season will typically run from early to mid-winter until mid- to late spring. Ideally the season will be over before the thaw begins.

A typical ski season has three stages, and therefore three levels of lift ticket pricing:

• Off-peak, at the very beginning and ending of the season, when the number of lifts open is limited and the snow cover in the lower sections of the mountain is typically patchy.
• Shoulder, during which the mountain is entirely snow covered but lift pass sales are not sufficiently lucrative to justify opening all lifts or areas of the mountain.
• Peak, during which all lifts and most if not all runs are open. These periods are usually at the height of the season or during school or public holidays.