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Whistler Blackcomb officially kicked off their ski season on Friday, November 21, joining the slew of Canadian resorts already spinning lifts. While mountains in the north and northeast have seen a strong start to the season, our precious ski areas out west are struggling. A handful of resorts have been forced to delay opening day, including Mammoth Mountain and Palisades Tahoe. While Mammoth has since gotten their act together, we're left wondering what happened? Why are some mountains are open, some are barely holding thin snowmaking strips together, and others have already pushed their opening dates into December?
What's happening?
Simply put: temperature and precipitation. High temps and dry weather have been detrimental to this early season for too many resorts. Here's a region by region look at who's open and who's not. Given how early in the season we are, keep in mind that most of the "open" resorts still have limited terrain on tap.
| Resort | Status (as of Nov 25, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Whistler Blackcomb (BC) | Open — target opening was Nov 21 and the resort has started running. |
| Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe (NV) | Open — Mt. Rose opened Nov 21. |
| Heavenly Mountain Resort (CA / NV) | Open — Heavenly opened yesterday (after a short delay) on Nov 24. |
| Mammoth Mountain (CA) | Open— Mammoth delayed their opening by a few days but lifts are now spinning as of November 20. |
| Palisades Tahoe (CA) | Delayed — originally slated for Nov 26, but opening has been postponed due to lack of snow / high temps. |
| Northstar California Resort (CA) | Delayed — opening postponed; no confirmed date as of today. |
| Kirkwood (CA) | Not open yet — target opening is Dec 5, no change. |
| Arapahoe Basin (CO) | Open - Limited terrain. "Only Intermediate, mountain-blue skiing at this time." |
| Breckenridge (CO) | Delayed— projected opening was Nov 7 |
| Copper Mountain (CO) | Delayed — target opening was Nov 7 |
| Vail Mountain (CO) | Delayed— target opening was Nov 14 |
| Beaver Creek (CO) | Not open yet — scheduled for Nov 26; likely waiting on snow / snowmaking. |
| Crested Butte (CO) | Not open yet — scheduled for Nov 26. |
| Aspen Mountain (CO) | Not open yet — projected opening around Nov 27. |
| Telluride (CO) | Not open yet — projected late November opening. |
| Park City Mountain (UT) | Delayed |
| Alta Ski Area (UT) | Delayed |
| Snowbird (UT) | Delayed |
| Sun Valley (ID) | Not open yet — target opening late November. |
| Jackson Hole (WY) | Delayed |
| Big Sky (MT) | Not open yet — projected opening around late November. |
| Revelstoke (BC) | Not open yet — target opening Nov 28. |
A Unseasonably Warm Start to Winter
Early-season skiing almost always comes down to three things: natural snow, cold temperatures, and elevation.
- High-elevation mountains like Whistler and Mammoth benefited from colder early-season temps and timely November storms.
- Colorado’s reliable early-season cold allowed for around-the-clock snowmaking.
- Tahoe suffered from unusually warm November nights. Even with modern equipment, snowmaking is virtually impossible when temps stay high.
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Layer in NOAA’s outlook for a weak La Niña, which often shifts storm tracks north and leaves the Sierra and Southwest dry early in the season, and the wonky start begins to make sense.
Thanksgiving Week Outlook
If you’re hunting for turns this week, the most reliable terrain is in Colorado, Canada, the Northeast, and Mammoth. Tahoe has skiing, but it’s limited. The East ripping. Cold enough for aggressive snowmaking, more openings should follow after the holiday.
Best bet? Check those webcams before you book anything.
