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Week Ahead: April's Last Gift -- A Storm Arrives Just in Time for the Funerals

Reuters is writing obituaries for the ski industry. Meanwhile, 6-9 inches are headed for the Rockies and PNW. Here's who can still use them.

March 30, 20267 min readforecastclosuresapril-stormspring-skiingweek-aheadmarch-2026climatepredictionscoloradoutahwyomingpnw

Reuters published a piece this morning with the headline "In record heat, US ski resorts bulldoze snow, skiers wear bikinis." It describes Taos literally bulldozing snow from off-piste areas onto runs to keep them open, Park City's empty streets, and Vail with less than 20% of terrain still skiable.

This is the first time in recent memory that a major wire service has essentially written a eulogy for an American ski season while it's still technically happening.

And yet -- there's snow in the forecast.

The April Fools Storm (Apr 1-3)

A series of systems will push through the West starting Tuesday night into Thursday, bringing the first meaningful snowfall in weeks to resorts that desperately need it. The timing is almost cruel -- arriving right as dozens of resorts are printing their closing day posters.

Here's what Open-Meteo's multi-model forecast is showing:

The Winners (6+ inches):

  • Jackson Hole: 8-9 inches. The biggest winner. Their April 12 closing date suddenly looks a lot more fun.
  • Mt. Bachelor: 8-9 inches. Already planning to run through May 25. This helps.
  • Alta/Snowbird: 5-6 inches. Both open through late April. They'll take every flake.
  • Big Sky: 6-8 inches. Daily ops through April 12, then weekends through the 26th.
  • Crystal Mountain, WA: 7 inches. PNW continues to outperform the rest of the West.
  • Vail: 6 inches. A lifeline for their April 19 closing target.
  • Steamboat: 5-6 inches. Closing April 5 -- this storm arrives just barely in time.

The Consolation Prize (2-5 inches):

  • Winter Park: 4-5 inches. Mary Jane already closed, but the main mountain benefits.
  • Mt. Baker: 5 inches. Open through April 19.
  • Breckenridge: 1-2 inches. They're hanging on as long as conditions allow.
  • Mammoth: 1-3 inches early week, then possibly more. Memorial Day target still alive.

The Snow Level Problem: NWS is showing snow levels at 8,000-9,000 feet for the first wave. That means lower-elevation resorts might see rain mixing in. Alta, Snowbird, Jackson, and the high-elevation Colorado resorts will benefit most. Anything below 8,000 feet is a coin flip.

The Closure Countdown

Here's the brutal reality of the next two weeks, state by state. If a resort isn't on this list, it's already closed.

Closing This Week (by April 5)

The single biggest wave of closures left this season:

  • Colorado: Crested Butte, Keystone, Telluride, Wolf Creek, Steamboat, Schweitzer
  • Montana: Discovery, Lost Trail, Whitefish
  • Idaho: Schweitzer
  • California: Boreal, Northstar, Sugar Bowl
  • Arizona: Snowbowl (weekends only)
  • Washington: Mission Ridge, Snoqualmie

That's roughly 15 resorts gone by next Sunday. Keystone -- the first to open this season in Colorado -- will also be among the first of the major resorts to close. Poetry.

The Middle Stretch (April 6-19)

  • Colorado: Snowmass (Apr 11), Aspen Mountain (Apr 19), Eldora (Apr 19), Vail (Apr 19), Winter Park (Apr 19)
  • Idaho: Sun Valley (Apr 12)
  • Wyoming: Jackson Hole (Apr 12)
  • Oregon: Mt. Hood Meadows (Apr 12)
  • Washington: Stevens Pass (Apr 12), Alpental weekends (Apr 19), Mt. Baker (Apr 19)
  • California: Heavenly (Apr 19), Kirkwood (Apr 19), Palisades Tahoe (mid-April, conditions dependent)
  • Utah: Brighton (Apr 19)

The Survivors (Late April+)

The resorts that actually make it to late April and beyond:

  • Utah: Alta (Apr 26), Snowbird (May 25), Solitude (May 17), Brian Head (May 10)
  • Colorado: Copper Mountain (Apr 26), Loveland (late Apr/early May), A-Basin (as long as possible), Breckenridge (TBD)
  • Montana: Big Sky weekends (Apr 26)
  • Washington: Crystal Mountain (Apr 26), White Pass (Apr 26)
  • California: Mammoth (May 25)
  • Oregon: Mt. Bachelor (May 25)
  • Alaska: Alyeska (Apr 26)

A-Basin and Breckenridge are the wildcards. Both are saying "as long as conditions permit" without committing to dates. In a normal year, A-Basin makes it to June. This year? That 30-inch base is going to evaporate fast if April doesn't deliver sustained cold.

By the Numbers: The 50-Year Low

Some stats to frame just how bad this season has been:

  • Colorado snowpack: 50-year low. Park City received 158 inches -- less than half its annual average.
  • Utah snowpack: Peaked at 75% of median in late February, then crashed to 15% by late March. A 60-point collapse in one month.
  • More than half of the ~120 ski resorts in the Western U.S. have already closed, closed early, or never opened.
  • 20-30°F above normal temperatures across the West the last week of March, breaking daily records in 150+ locations.
  • Alta's 260 inches to date is about half its average. Half. At Alta.

The climate scientist Daniel Swain, quoted in the Reuters piece, put it plainly: "This was a remarkably bad snow year, not just one basin, but across most of them."

Prediction Markets Update

We've got some action on SnowRadar Predictions:

Closing Tomorrow (March 31):

  • Vail: March vs. February -- Did March deliver more than February? The heat wave makes this one interesting.
  • Alta vs. Jackson Hole: March Showdown -- Who won the month? Alta's had the edge, but Jackson got a late push.

Still Open:

  • April Fools Storm markets for Jackson Hole and Alta -- place your bets before the storm locks.
  • Colorado Statewide Snowpack Recovery -- Closes April 1.
  • Mammoth Season Total -- The long play, closing April 15.

Check the predictions page if you want to put your snow knowledge where your mouth is.

The PNW Exception

While most of this post reads like a funeral program, the Pacific Northwest keeps doing its own thing. Crystal Mountain, Mt. Baker, White Pass, and Stevens Pass all have closing dates into mid-to-late April. Mt. Bachelor is targeting May 25.

The April storm system drops 5-9 inches across the Washington Cascades and Oregon Cascades. If you have the flexibility to chase snow this week, the PNW is your answer. It's been the answer all season.

What to Watch This Week

  1. Tuesday night through Thursday -- The April 1-3 storm window. Watch snow levels closely. Above 9,000 feet = powder. Below 8,000 feet = slush or rain.
  2. Closing weekend chaos -- April 5 is the single biggest closing day of the season. Expect crowds at Crested Butte, Keystone, Telluride, Steamboat, and Wolf Creek for their final days.
  3. Extended forecast -- After the storm clears, models show another ridge building. If that pattern holds, the resorts targeting late April may need to pull the plug earlier.
  4. Wildfire risk -- Higher elevations that are normally snow-covered are drying out. The crossover from ski season concern to fire season concern is happening in real time.

The Bottom Line

This season has been terrible. Historic. A 50-year-low, Reuters-makes-it-international kind of terrible. The patrollers and groomers who kept things running deserve a standing ovation -- the Colorado Sun described them "stretching nylon ropes for miles" and "bulldozing snow patches like Tetris" just to keep runs connected.

But there's snow in the forecast this week. Real snow. 6-9 inches at the high-elevation resorts that are still standing. If you've got a pass and can make it to Jackson, Alta, Bachelor, or Crystal Mountain between Wednesday and Friday -- go. This might be the last real powder day of the season.

April's knocking. Let it in.

All forecast data from SnowRadar's multi-model forecast tool. Closing dates sourced from resort websites and SnowBrains as of March 30 -- check before you drive, because these are changing daily. Storm snow totals are Open-Meteo multi-model averages and represent best estimates, not guarantees.