Utahns can get ski passes at a discount

Local skiers/snowboarders have a price advantage over visitors — if they choose to take advantage.

By purchasing before the snow falls, Utah residents are allowed to buy season and daily passes at discounted rates.

What's involved is a little pre-planning by picking a resort or resorts for the 2010-11 season, then checking out available options.

Those buying locals pre-season passes and tickets will need to prove they are residents of Utah.

To see all the available passes, check the individual resort websites:

Alta: An adult season pass this year is $1,099, a midweek pass $899 and a pass for youths ages 7 to 12 is $229. Alta's preseason sale has ended. An adult day will be $69. www.alta.com.

Beaver Mountain: A season pass for adults is $445, for students $270 and for children 6 to 11 it's $285. Prices will go up after Sept. 15. An all-day pass for adults will be $40. www.skithebeav.com

Powder Mountain: There were 72 season passes available on Tuesday at rates of $750 for adults, $1,860 for family (2 adults, 2 children) and $200 for kids kindergarten through 12th grade. When all 72 are gone, prices will go up. An adult daily pass this year will be $59. www.powdermountain.com

Snowbasin: Buy before Oct. 3 and an adult season pass is $975, a midweek adult pass $550 and a book of 10 passes $500. After Oct. 3 an adult season is $1,100 and midweek $650. Discount cards offering $12 off a day pass are on sale through Dec. 12. An all-day pass for adults will be $66. www.snowbasin.com.

Brighton: An adult season pass is $849 until Oct. 31. A student pass is $499 and a youth pass $299. After Oct. 31, prices will go up $100. A book of 10 passes is $450. An adult day pass will be $62. www.brightonresort.com.

The Canyons: A silver adult season pass is $999 until Oct. 15, when it will go up to $1,299. A midweek pass is $799, then go up to $999. A Cherry Picker book of five passes is $219 and a book of 10 is $509. Day-pass prices are not available yet. www.thecanyons.com.

Snowbird: Buy before Sept. 15 and a book of 10 to 15 passes is $53 for each pass, a book of 20 to 35 passes is $51 for each pass and a book of 40 or more is $49 for each pass. Passes are sold in increments of five. A transferrable Ten-2-Share pass, available until Nov. 1, is $529 and then will go up to $579. An adult day pass will be $72. www.snowbird.com.

Solitude: Skiers and snowboarders can build their own season pass this year. The basic one-day midweek pass is $279. Add additional midweek days for $89, Fridays for $139, Saturdays for $379 and Sundays for $229. A book of 10 passes is $44 per pass. This offer is good through Oct. 31. An adult day pass will be $68. www.skisolitude.com.