Unseasonably warm March temperatures had Palisades Tahoe ski resort contemplating a rare early close to the 2025-26 season.
Although there was no “Miracle March” this season to save most Tahoe ski resorts from ending prematurely, thanks to a big snow total in April, Palisades Tahoe was able to outlast all other resorts by more than a month.
Palisades Tahoe announced this week it will close May 24.
“With over a week left in the season, let’s make the most of every turn, every chairlift ride, and every spring day spent in the mountains with our friends,” Palisades Tahoe stated on social media.
SEE TAHOE SKI RESORT CLOSING DATES BELOW
The announcement marks a notable turnaround for Palisades Tahoe. More than a month ago, the ski resort planned to close in late April. March not only produced no snow in the Tahoe region, it also brought a record-breaking heat wave. That hastened the closures of mountains around Lake Tahoe and across the West.
It was an extreme rarity to see six Tahoe ski resorts close in March. And three more area resorts shut down for the season one week later. That left only four Tahoe ski resorts open, a highly unusual occurrence.
But in April, the snow spigots turned back on. A late-season storm brought sizable snow totals and allowed Palisades Tahoe to open some of its more serious terrain, like the Chimney. Soon afterward, the resort changed course: May skiing was back on the menu.
Palisades Tahoe received 81 inches of snow in April (nearly 7 feet), including 11 inches in a single night. The excessive April snowfall brought Palisades Tahoe’s season total to 359 inches, the most among Tahoe ski resorts. Multiple Tahoe resorts failed to reach 200 inches for the 2025-26 season.
Open Terrain: The resort said it’s likely the Gold Coast Express and terrain park will remain open through May 24. The Shirley Lake Express is expected to close sometime between May 18 and May 21, as snow coverage along the route back from Shirley Ridge is getting thin. Meanwhile, the Siberia Express has called it quits as of Tuesday, May 12.
During its closing weekend, Palisades Tahoe plans to host the Made in Tahoe Spring Festival, a free event with live music, drinks, local art, and vendors.
Mammoth Mountain Extends Season: Earlier this week the ski resort announced a season extension that will make it one of the last open ski areas in North America.
Mammoth Mountain will be operating lifts at least through May 31, nearly a whole week longer than they had initially announced. The resort has not confirmed that as its official closing day.
Starting May 26, Mammoth will be running Broadway Express, Face Lift Express, and Chair 23 daily from 7:30 am until 1 pm. The main lodge will also remain open for food, beverages, rentals, repairs, and lessons.
Located on California’s Eastern Sierra range, approximately 100 miles south of the Nevada state line and 50 minutes from the eastern gate of Yosemite, Mammoth is still holding a base of 125 inches at its summit and 38 inches at the base.
Thanks to the ski area’s high elevation and winds that keep temperatures cool up high, hanging onto snowpack and late-season storms like the few that have come through this spring is a little easier.
What U.S. Resorts Still Open? It appears that four resorts are still open for daily operations – Banff Sunshine Village, Alberta; Whistler Blackcomb, B.C.; Timberline Lodge, Ore.; and Mammoth Mountain and Palisades Tahoe.
A few others are open for weekend operations only, including Sommet Saint Sauveur, Quebec; Arapahoe Basin, Colo.; Jay Peak, Vt.; Killington, Vt.; Black Mountain, N.H.; and Boyne Mountain, Mich.
In Utah, Snowbird and Brighton made it to May 10, a strong finish to a challenging season. Snowbird was the last to close in Utah in the 2024-25 season, making it to Memorial Day Weekend.
- Closing Dates Tahoe Ski Resorts
- Homewood: March 17
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: March 22
- Tahoe Donner: March 22
- Soda Springs: March 22
- Granlibakken: March 22
- Diamond Peak: March 29
- Boreal: April 5
- Northstar: April 5
- Sugar Bowl: April 5
- Heavenly: April 19
- Kirkwood: April 19
- Mt. Rose: April 19
- Palisades Tahoe: May 24
