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Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.

Vail Resorts has reported its Q3 fiscal 2026 results, and the numbers reflect what anyone skiing the Rockies this past winter already suspected - it was rough. Net income fell from $389.7M to $314.4M, visitation dropped 15%, and early pass sales for 2026/27 are down approximately 10%. The one bright spot? Epic Australia Pass sales are up 26% in units and 31% in revenue. Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham head into the southern hemisphere season with real momentum behind them.

Colorado has approved a 10-year, $300 million transportation plan that could make the drive to Vail, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain significantly safer - and eventually faster. The plan targets two critical sections of the I-70 Mountain Corridor, with $77 million earmarked for West Vail Pass alone. Combined with the ongoing Floyd Hill project, it's the most ambitious overhaul of one of North America's busiest ski corridors in recent memory. Here's what's changing and when.

Breckenridge is spinning lifts for one more day after its official closing date. Peak 8 reopens on 25 April for the resort's Peaks and Beats event, complete with limited terrain, live music, and the sort of spring skiing attire that says 'we know this is ridiculous.'

Breckenridge hosted the 'New Worlds' competition this past weekend, commemorating four decades since becoming the first major Colorado resort to permit snowboarding. The event drew nearly 100 competitors, including veterans from the 1986 World Championships, with bonus points awarded for vintage boards and authentic 1980s attire.

Vail Resorts has announced a 20% price reduction on Epic Pass products for skiers and riders aged 13-30, bringing the 2026-27 Epic Pass down to $869 and Epic Local Pass to $649. The move comes as the ski industry grapples with participation rates among younger demographics.

Kirsten Lynch, former CEO of Vail Resorts, is set to receive a substantial severance package following her departure from the company. The package includes cash payments, equity awards, and health insurance benefits.

Vail Resorts announces a significant leadership change as Rob Katz returns to the CEO position, replacing Kirsten Lynch who has stepped down after 14 years with the company.

Summit County ski resorts maintain impressive base depths despite the approaching end of the 2024-25 season. Copper Mountain leads local snowfall totals, while Winter Park tops the state.
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Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.

Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.

Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.

Dolomiti Superski is spending around €100 million across its 12 areas before winter. Kronplatz gets a new 10-passenger gondola with a middle station, 3 Zinnen gets Helmissimo, and Val di Fassa swaps a chairlift for a gondola above Col Valvacin. New water-storage basins and upgraded snowmaking follow, and construction has started on the San Martino to Passo Rolle link. A peak adult day pass is €89.

Brian Head is targeting 6 November, though last year it aimed for 7 November and did not open until the 25th. Park City, Alta and Solitude are pencilled in for 20 November, Snowbird and Snowbasin for 27 November, and Deer Valley for 5 December. Eagle Point will stay closed after the Cottonwood Fire. A super El Niño is forecast, but the big snow is not expected until January.

Hintertux became Austria's second glacier to open for 2026-27 on Friday 2 October, after the Pitztal Glacier. Twelve kilometres of piste are running around the Olperer and Gefrorene Wand, served by one gondola and two drag lifts, with the Betterpark also open. Lifts officially run 8:15 am to 4:30 pm, but skiing stops at 2 pm for now.

A historically poor western winter cut Vail Resorts' annual net income from $280 million to $147.5 million and skier visits by 13.4 per cent. Now 2026-27 pass units are down 12 per cent as of 18 September, worse than the 10 per cent flagged in spring. Vail blames the weather and thinks some buyers are simply waiting, and it forecasts a rebound if the snow behaves.

Arizona Snowbowl advertised eight $1 lift ticket days this winter. Go looking and only three are showing - 10 March, 1 April and 10 April - so the rest may already have gone. The consolation is a calendar full of $9 days, including all but one day in April. Opening day is 20 November, weather permitting, and opening weekend is $19.