Western US Stays Dry—Major Ski Resorts Delay Opening Day

We wish we were writing about things like ski resorts opening wall-to-wall, opening day powder, and a fruitful early season.

After all, we spent the last six-plus months in anticipation of ski season’s return and finally getting to ski our home mountains again. While parts of the US, Canada, and Europe have had fantastic early seasons, and some resorts have been able to open early with lots of terrain, a significant portion of the western US is having a dismally late start to winter.

Many resorts in California, Utah, and the Pacific Northwest targeted the week before or week of Thanksgiving to start spinning lifts for the 2025/26 season. However, as storms continue to pass over the west and either stick north towards parts of BC and Alberta, or hang out over the northeast, the west is painfully dry. As a result, more than a few ski areas in the west announced delays to their opening days, with many not specifying a new targeted opening date in favor of a ‘wait and see’ approach.

We’re happy for our friends in the northeast, but with most of the POWDER staff living in the west, it’s getting a little depressing over here. Here are major resorts that have delayed opening from their originally announced dates so far. Some resorts didn’t have an opening day announced and will open pending conditions. Pray for snow, folks!

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Rockies

• Grand Targhee, Wyoming – original targeted opening: Nov 21, new opening: TBD
• Alta, Utah – original targeted opening: Nov 21, new opening: December 5
• Snowbird, Utah – original targeted opening: Nov 27, new opening: first week of December
• Park City, Utah – original targeted opening: Nov 21, new opening: TBD
• Telluride, Colorado – original targeted opening: Nov 27, new opening: December 6
• Solitude, Utah – original targeted opening: Nov 16, new opening: November 27
• Deer Valley, Utah – original targeted opening: Dec 1, new opening: TBD
• Brundage Mountain, ID- original targeted opening: Nov 28, new opening: TBD
• Sun Valley, ID – original targeted opening: Nov 27, new opening: TBD

California

• Palisades Tahoe – original targeted opening: Nov 26, new opening: TBD
• Heavenly – original targeted opening: Nov 21, new opening: November 24
• Northstar – original targeted opening: Nov 21, new opening: first week of December

Pacific Northwest

• Mt. Bachelor, OR – original targeted opening: Nov 28, new opening: TBD
• Crystal Mountain, WA – original targeted opening: Nov 28, pending confirmation

Related: Bar Up or Bar Down? A Complicated Question for Skiers (Poll)