A ski season is a period of time in which skiing, snowboarding and other alpine sports are viable in an alpine resort. The seasons, in reality, corresponds to when ski lifts are running and lift passes are available. Depending on the latitude and altitude 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: