#low-snowfall

#low-snowfall

Park City, Utah, one of the West's most beloved ski destinations, is having an unusually difficult season. For a state that prides itself on its snow, 2026 has started on an unexpectedly thin note. By this point in winter, rooftops are typically glazed in white and aspen groves disappear beneath Utah's signature "champagne powder." This year, that familiar scene is missing.

It's no secret that the start of the 2025-26 ski season has been fairly lackluster across much of the American West. Colorado, in particular, has struggled mightily due to a lack of early-season snowfall. As of January 4, few resorts have more than 50% of their terrain open, with some failing to open even a quarter of their trails. Below is a breakdown of the number and percentage of trails currently open at 10 marquee Colorado resorts.

WHITEFISH, Mont. A chairlift cranks into gear as a group of ski patrollers at Whitefish Mountain Resort gets the mountain ready for another season. This is a typical safety training. They'll practice how to evacuate people off chairs if there were an emergency. But not much here feels typical. For starters, no one is in boots or on skis. Despite the training happening in late November, there is no snow at the base lodge, and the slopes leading up the mountain are brown,