As the end of April nears, prior to previous predictions, there will be no need to pull the plug on the Lake Tahoe ski season.
After receiving 81 inches of snow in April (nearly 7 feet), including 11 inches in a single night this week, Palisades Tahoe announced it will remain open early to mid-May and has yet to establish a definitive closing date.
In the past few years, Palisades Tahoe has been the last Tahoe ski resort to close down, typically on Memorial Day. On Saturday (April 25), Palisades Tahoe had 11 lifts running, accessing 38 trails.
Due to zero snow in the Tahoe region the entire month of March, Palisades Tahoe was likely to close prematurely sometime in April. In a season marked by low snowfall, six Tahoe ski resorts closed in March and three more followed April 5. That left only four ski resorts open, a highly unusual occurrence.
“A pattern of cooler temperatures, cloud cover, and scattered snow showers is helping preserve coverage and extend what is shaping up to be a standout spring stretch,” Palisades Tahoe spokesperson Patrick Lacey said. “That momentum is setting the stage to keep lifts spinning into early to mid-May. Operations will continue as long as conditions allow.”
Palisades joins Mammoth Mountain as the only California resorts still open for this season. 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 has set a closing date of Memorial Day (May 25).
Heavenly reopened last weekend for a surprise send-off, while both Kirkwood and Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe also closed April 19.
This latest snow surge brings Palisades Tahoe’s cumulative season total to 359 inches. Multiple Tahoe resorts failed to reach 200 inches for the 2025-26 season.
For skiers and riders looking to get in a few more days on the mountain, late-season pricing makes this one of the better value windows of the year.
Late Season Deals
- Spring Ticket Trio: $93 per ticket (fully transferable)
- 2-Day Lift Pack: $125 per day
- Reciprocal Passholder Discount: $79 per day for passholders from other resorts
Down Year for U.S. Ski Resorts: The entire western United States has seen a lower-than-average snowfall this past winter, limiting ski resort openings in Colorado, Utah and Washington.
Even Timberline Lodge on Oregon’s Mount Hood, which can usually use its glacier to stay open through August, announced last week that it would close July 19, a month earlier than it usually does.
On Thursday, Vail Resorts reported that its 37 North American ski areas saw a drop in skier visits of just under 15% through the end of the current ski season compared to the previous season. Resorts in the Rocky Mountains suffered the biggest drop-off of around 25%.
As a result of that weather-related drop in visitation, season-to-date lift revenue through April 19, including a portion of season pass revenue for the comparable period, was down 5.6% compared to the previous ski season.
Similarly, ski school revenue at Vail’s North American resorts was down 12%, dining revenue dropped 11.7%, and retail and rental revenues were down 6.6% compared to the previous ski season.
“The winter of 2025/2026 has been one of the most challenging winters in history across the western U.S., with record low snowfall and historically warm temperatures negatively impacting visitation and spending throughout the season,” Vail Resorts Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz said.
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: TBD
