Vermont Ski Areas Join DST Protest

By Ted Cohen

A congressional proposal to make Daylight Saving Time permanent is drawing pushback from number of mountains nationwide.

Five resort trade groups and two major resort companies representing 115 ski areas across 10 states sent a letter to 19 U.S. senators urging lawmakers to reject the Sunshine Protection Act of 2026, according to The Colorado Sun.

The legislation would eliminate the twice-yearly clock change and keep the country on daylight saving time year-round.

The House passed the legislation in July by a 308-117 vote. The proposal now faces consideration in the Senate.

The ski areas maintain the plan would endanger ski patrollers who work early in the morning doing trail preparation and avalanche control.

Resort representatives in Vermont, Utah and Colorado argue that operating in prolonged darkness could increase risks for workers conducting avalanche mitigation, lift inspections and other mountain operations.

Simply shifting operating hours later would not completely solve the problem, says Nolan Beck of UnofficialNetworks.com.

Moving a typical 9a.m. opening an hour forward could preserve daylight for morning preparation, but the lost morning hour cannot easily be replaced in the afternoon, the resorts say.

Avalanche control and other preparation work must happen before skiers arrive, while afternoon operations can be affected by fading light and traffic leaving mountain communities, the ski officials said.