The Cypress Mountain Alpine runs in the mountains overlooking Vancouver, which will be used for freestyle skiing and snowboard events, was closed in a bid to preserve snow despite being scheduled to remain open for another two weeks.
The Vancouver area has been hit this week by a "Pineapple Express" of rain and snow-melting temperatures. Vancouver normally has milder winters than the rest of Canada but planning for the Olympics has taken into account the possibility of warmer weather in the lead-up to and during the competition, according to Vancouver Organising Committee vice president Tim Gayda.
"Closing Cypress Mountain early is the responsible thing to do, given the recent weather, in order to make sure we're ready to host the world's best athletes in one month's time," said Gayda.
The Games begin on February 12.
