We were at a birthday party on the beach in Tahoe in March, no less, when the conversation drifted, like it always does in ski towns, to the season. Specifically, the 2025/26 ski season, and how early our home mountain had to call it. One friend, grinning, tried to soften the blow: “Hey, it hasn’t been the worst winter. Sierra actually shut down a full week earlier back in 2014/15.” Still, for some resorts that have been fighting an uphill battle all season, the question hangs there. Is this the earliest closing ever? Let’s take a look.
Magic Mountain
2026 Closure: Never even opened
Think you had a rough season out West? This one hits hard. Magic Mountain didn’t open at all this year. It’s the first time in more than 20 years under the Miller family. They put in over $100,000 in upgrades during the offseason. Then a historically low-snow winter shut it all down. No opening day. No turns. Nothing.
We’re hoping this is a one-off because Magic Mountain is the definition of an under-the-radar spot. One main lift, but it delivers. A perfect zone to learn without big consequences. Pine and aspen glades. Mini chutes, cliffs, even some steeps. Just scaled down in the best way. AND…. powder stashes that can last for weeks after a storm.
To help the Miller family through a tough season, the community is stepping up. A benefit dinner is set for May 7.
Sierra-at-Tahoe
2026 Closure: March 22nd, 2026
Past Earliest Closure: March 15th, 2015
It’s been a wonky winter for Lake Tahoe ski resorts. Precip totals landed near average, but too much of it fell as rain. Add in the second warmest winter since 1980, and Sierra’s playful, pillow-style terrain just couldn’t hold up as long as it usually does.
Still, this isn’t close to the worst season in recent memory. That title goes to 2014/15, when Sierra shut it down on March 15. That’s just how the Sierra storm cycle goes. Some years are all-time, like 2022/23. Others look more like 2026. But every season has its moments, and this one delivered a few gems too.
Bridger Bowl
2026 Closure: March 22nd, 2026
Past Earliest Closure: April 4th, 2021
Bozeman’s Bridger Bowl is exactly how every ski area should be. As an independent, non-profit mountain, putting skiing and community first. It doesn’t aim to be a big destination resort. It’s a local’s mountain through and through. That’s why the announcement to end the 2025-26 season early on March 22, 2026, is a big deal. With just 138 inches of snow and warm weather, it’s one of Bridger Bowl’s earliest closures ever. Other than the pandemic shutdown on March 18, 2020, and the early April close in 2021, this is one of the most sudden endings, cutting the season short by three weeks.
Mt Ashland
2026 Closure: February 28th, 2026
Past Earliest Closure: 2013/14 Never opened
This winter was a tough one for this Pacific Northwest ski area. The resort only managed 17 operating days, with the last day on February 28, far short of their 50-day guarantee. Much of that came down to one of the lowest-snow winters in the resort’s history. It only saw 82 inches of snow compared to the usual 265-plus inches.
Even so, this season still pales in comparison to 2013/14, when the mountain never opened at all, the first time in its 50 plus year history. For context, their best season had 93 days and ran through April 23. The official announcement to close early came on March 12, 2026.
Snowbasin
2026 Closure: March 22nd, 2026
Past Earliest Closure: April 8th, 2012
When it comes to “Mr. Consistent,” Utah usually ranks near the top for snowfall in the region. Based on long-term averages, Utah doesn’t even have a single standout month for snow. From December through March, nearly every month averages around 80 inches.
That’s why it’s such a shock to see the state sitting on its lowest statewide snowpack since record-keeping began in 1980. A clear example is Snowbasin. The resort is closing nearly a month early. Snowbasin Brand Manager Brooks Roe said this is likely the earliest closure in the resort’s history, at least looking back to 1980.
It’s not the only Utah ski area struggling with warm temperatures and low snowfall. Deer Valley is also set to close on March 29, 2026.
No season is perfect, and 2026 certainly proved that. Early closures and low snow reminded us just how unpredictable ski towns can be. Still, every mountain had its moments, from powder stashes to sunny laps, proving there is always a reason to chase turns, no matter the calendar.
