need to know
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Two California ski resorts close early this year due to unusually warm weather and low snowpack
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Over the weekend, Mount Shasta Ski Park and Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort concluded their 2025/2026 seasons
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Experts warn that climate change is shortening the ski season and increasing risks such as avalanches and unstable snow conditions
Two California ski resorts have made the difficult decision to close early due to a lack of snow in the area.
Over the weekend, Mount Shasta Ski Park in McCloud and Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort in Pinecrest marked the end of the 2025/2026 seasons after unseasonably warm and short winters.
Mt. Shasta Ski Park, one of the northernmost ski areas in California, announced its closure in a social media video posted on March 10. General manager Brendan Hickey cited a “very warm” weather forecast with zero chance of precipitation. He noted that the resort has only reached day 55 of its 60-day guarantee period, and current pass holders will receive their points via email. The season will kick off for the first time on December 27, according to social media reports.
Likewise, Dodge Ridge announced its closure on social media and on its website on March 13, citing “unseasonably warm weather.”
Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort in Pinecrest, California.
Image source: Google Maps
“We hope this will not be the end of our snow season, and if heavy snow occurs later, we aim to resume operations,” the 75-year-old resort said. “Our team is eager to welcome you back and will keep you updated on operational changes.”
However, the chance of additional snow appears unlikely. The National Weather Service predicts an unprecedented heat wave for much of the state in mid-March. The Sacramento office reported temperatures could reach over 90 degrees in northern and central California.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, as of March 16, snowpack across the state was only 45% of normal levels. However, the situation is much worse in the north and central regions, with 24% and 48% respectively.
Ski resorts with low snowfall
Image source: Getty
However, on the eastern edge of the state, resorts are at higher elevations and ski areas are still operating. Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in Mammoth Lakes and Palisades Lake Tahoe in Olympic Valley remain open.
A 2023 study looked at the impact of climate warming on the U.S. ski industry and found that the average ski season from 2000 to 2019 was 5.5 to 7.1 days shorter than from 1960 to 1979. The study further predicts that regional ski seasons will be shortened by 14 to 62 days by the 2050s, depending on how carbon emissions are managed.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, also predicts that warming will lead to an increase in major snowstorms.
“We do actually see an increase in the likelihood of very large single snow events in a warming climate, especially at very high altitudes, like what we saw in the Sierra Nevada in February… because there’s more moisture in the atmosphere,” Swain told Nature. sacramento bees. “Even if the average snowpack decreases, individual snowfalls are likely to be larger.”
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He noted that these heavy snowfalls can make the sport more dangerous because it increases the risk of avalanches, tree wells and snow drifts. Heavy snow can also create unstable layers beneath the surface, causing low visibility.
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