March Heat Forces Another Colorado Ski Resort To Close Early

Last season, Purgatory Resort in Colorado stayed open until late April.

This year, after an often snowless winter bookended by a historic heat wave that set numerous temperature records out West, the mountain plans to end operations on Sunday, March 29, 2026.

Matt Ericksen, marketing director at Purgatory Resort, said the mountain doesn’t take changing its closing date lightly, but the “early heat this year is accelerating” the timeline.

“This season brought its share of challenges, and our team worked hard to keep the mountain running and deliver a great experience for our guests,” he added, in a news release. “We’re proud of that effort, and we’re grateful for the incredibly positive feedback from guests who came out, enjoyed the skiing, and made the most of every turn.”

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Purgatory’s far from alone.

Palisades Tahoe, California, expects to drop nearly a month off its planned schedule because of low snow, and is now aiming for late April as a closing date instead of Memorial Day weekend. Many smaller mountains in Colorado, like Ski Cooper, Sunlight, and Powderhorn, have already closed. 

The current snowpack across the West puts the ski resort’s challenges in sharp relief. A map monitored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service shows a bright red band that stretches from Washington down to California, before moving east. That red means the snowpack in a given area is well below the norm.

In short, it’s been a tough season. 

Purgatory, though, hopes to make the most of the snow that’s left during its closing day “Beach Ruckus,” an event that comes with an apt descriptor: “Barely Winter Edition.”

The party includes live music, a rail jam, a costume contest, and a color party with throwable, colored powder (the colors, Purgatory noted, “are made from FDA-approved, non-toxic ingredients”).

“Snow is barely hanging on, but that’s not really the point,” Purgatory wrote in the event’s web blurb, hitting a funereal but upbeat tone. “Come for the color. Stay for the party.”

Oh, and beers are two bucks while supplies last.

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