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At least two Lake Tahoe ski resorts, including Homewood and Sierra-at-Tahoe, say they will end their seasons early as an unprecedented heat wave in March brings high temperatures to the West and bakes snow on the mountains.
Bryan Hickman, director of operations for Sierra-at-Tahoe, said in a social media post Tuesday that the resort is experiencing near-record high temperatures. Of course, this is not good news for the ski industry.
“Our team does a great job keeping everything alive,” Hickman continued, citing the hard work of groomers and ski patrol. “But sometimes nature wins.”
Sierra-at-Tahoe is scheduled to close on Sunday, March 22. Meanwhile, the resort said it will operate three lifts: Grandview Express, Nob Hill and Easy Rider Express if conditions allow. We will share the latest information on snow reports in the Tahoe Mountains.
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Homewood Mountain Resort
(Homewood Mountain Resort)
Nearby Homewood closed earlier this week on Tuesday, March 17.
“Due to the high temperatures today and the forecast for temperatures in the 70s starting tomorrow into the weekend, our snowpack is rapidly decreasing,” the resort said. “The safety of our guests and employees is always our top priority and the safest option is to close.”
Homewood is not open at all for the 2024-25 season. But for Sierra-at-Tahoe, the March closing date is still weeks away from the final day of the 2025 season. That year, the resort remained open until the end of April. In early April 2025, a storm dropped 30 inches of snow, highlighting the contrast between this winter and last.
Lake Tahoe Ski Area joins two other earlier named mountain ranges in California: Dodge Ridge Mountain Ski Area and Mount Shasta Ski Park. Mount Shasta is not planning to reopen, but Dodge Ridge is waiting for another storm that could help it get back up and running again before the end of the season.
All of the closures come amid continued hot and rare weather in California.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Photo: Getty Images
(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu, Getty Images)
In the Bay Area, the National Weather Service issued its first-ever March heat advisory. Near San Francisco, temperatures in Redwood City hit 90 degrees on Monday, the hottest March day since records began in 1930.
Although new york times Linking individual heat events to climate change requires analysis, but scientists have “no doubt” that heat waves around the world are getting hotter and longer, the report said.
As for this heat wave, the National Weather Service’s San Francisco office called it “impressive,” noting that many daily records were set Tuesday.
On the slopes, that means spring skiing, not March Madness at resorts that are still open. Palisades Tahoe is expecting highs this week to reach around 60 degrees at 8,000 feet, with overnight lows staying above freezing.
Pack a good attitude and some sunscreen, and you just might be able to forget about the snow that didn’t fall this winter.
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This article was originally published by Powder on March 18, 2026 and first appeared in the News section. Click here to add powder as your preferred source.
