Endless Winter: The Ski Season Will Extend Through the Summer at These Resorts in the West

It’s been a punishing winter for California, with unrelenting floods and massive snowfall hitting vulnerable parts of the state, and in some cases, like in the San Bernardino Mountains, resulting in formal declarations of a state of emergency. But, if there is any sort of silver lining, it’s that many of California’s iconic ski resorts will be able to remain open well into the summer, making for the best spring skiing the region has ever seen.

Palisades Tahoe has extended its season through July 4. Slopes in Utah and Colorado will also extend their seasons, with Snowbasin Resort, situated about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City, logging its longest recorded season in the resort’s 80-year history due to opening weeks early and extending well beyond standard closure. California’s Big Bear Mountain Resort, located about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, has extended its winter season by at least three weeks and will now stay open until April 30. And, Mammoth, which expects to break its seasonal record of 668 inches after the storm that comes through this week, will stay open through the end of July.

Skiers at Heavenly. Photo courtesy of Visit Lake Tahoe.

“Well known for its extended spring seasons, Mammoth has a long tradition of operating well into the summer months, but has never announced an extension of this length of time, this early in the season. In short, this is likely to be the best spring skiing and riding the Eastern Sierra has ever seen,” said a spokesperson for Mammoth Mountain ski resort.

Though the winter has indeed been rough, the ample snowpack has also had a positive impact on the extreme state of drought in California. Whereas a year ago, over 90% of the state was under what’s considered severe drought, that number has now declined to just over 8.5%, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

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