#extended-ski-season

#extended-ski-season

The ski season in Colorado is being described as the worst in 50 years, with resorts opening less than half their usual terrain for much of the winter.

Kirkwood has had a pretty solid past few days, seeing 42 inches of snow through the past 7 days, 31 of which fell in the past 48 hours. As of April 13th, Kirkwood has 5 lifts spinning with 45 of 84 trails open to skiers and snowboarders.

The Black Lantern Inn was a familiar place where I ate with my kids, sometimes once a week. My room was well beyond my expectations for a last-minute booking: a king-sized bed, separate living area, jacuzzi bath, and many thoughtful details, including several back issues of Skiing History Magazine to flip through.

Both days delivered clear skies and cold temperatures, with hardly a cloud overhead and almost no wind. Despite the strong alpine sun, temperatures remained below freezing, keeping the snow in excellent shape across the mountain.

"Just when we thought the season was over, winter had other plans," Angie Grubb, Marketing Manager at Arizona Snowbowl, said to SnowBrains in an email.

Cody Townsend has called Recent Imagery 'the most useful tool for finding snow.' He notes that it will not tell you snow quality, but it does show 'where it's melted out or freshly coated' and helps plan missions efficiently.

Mammoth Mountain reported between 12 and 18 inches of new snow over the past 48 hours, with additional snowfall forecasted to add to an already solid late-season base.

Head finished the season with 9,720 points across all disciplines, leading in Downhill, Super-G, and Slalom, while placing third in Giant Slalom. This consistency ensured a comfortable overall victory, nearly 4,000 points ahead of the next-best ski brand.

Both avid and casual skiers know that winter requires preparation. If you want to ski as many days as possible, you must have a game plan. After all, skiing is an expensive sport, so budget is typically one of the top considerations. But before you book flights, hotels, and lift tickets, or decide if you want to invest in an Epic Pass or Ikon Pass, you'll need to identify which ski resorts you want to explore over the course of a few months.

California's ski season was largely dry and warm, with only 18% of average snowpack by April 1, marking the second-lowest on record. Despite some quality skiing opportunities around Christmas and early January, the overall season remained disappointing.

Enzo attempted a double front flip at Alaska's Hilltop Ski Area. He comes pretty close to landing it, nearly getting his skis all the way around, but he just didn't quite get it.

The 2025-26 winter saw extreme weather, with the eastern half experiencing consistent cold and heavy snowfall, while the western half endured record warmth and a lack of snowfall.

Mt. Baker is the PNW's snow vacuum. It's close enough to the Pacific to get storm after storm, and the North Cascades do what they do best: force moist air straight up, wring it out, and bury everything in sight. Maritime storms roll in wet and heavy, then pile up fast when they hit terrain.