Warm, rainy weather has forced Idaho's largest ski resort to push back its opening day for the 2025 season.
What's happening?
Schweitzer Mountain Resort, located in the northern part of Idaho's panhandle region, was scheduled to open its ski season on Nov. 21. But a string of warmer-than-usual weather caused the resort to change course.
"Unfortunately, Mother Nature has other plans," Schweitzer CEO Tom Chasse wrote. "We've made the tough call to push our target Opening Day to November 28 due to current conditions."
Chasse said the resort received some dustings of snow in October, but that the start of November did not bring the conditions needed for skiing. Instead of freezing temperatures with low humidity, the region saw considerable rain with low temperatures rarely getting below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why is ski season important?
Although a one-week skiing delay may not seem too concerning, it represents a bigger, more dire trend that is happening around the globe.
The pollution and waste created by humans cause millions of tons of harmful, heat-trapping emissions to be released into our atmosphere. This, in turn, has caused global temperatures to increase.
The last 10 years have been the 10 warmest in history, with 2024 the warmest on record. And experts expect heat records to keep getting broken in upcoming years.
As temperatures increase, it makes it more likely that ski resorts may need to delay or cancel future openings. Higher temperatures also increase the frequency of severe weather events, such as heavy rainfall that can be catastrophic to resorts.
What can I do to help?
Fortunately for Idaho's skiers, the entire ski season isn't expected to be a wash.
In fact, forecasters predict a better than 50-50 chance that much of the state will see La Niña conditions through February 2026, which typically bring colder temperatures and heavy winter precipitation — a dream for ski resorts.
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Definitely 👍 "If the jet stream shifts even slightly, we'll be buried in feet of snow," Chasse wrote.
But this setback also highlights that we all need to take steps to reduce our carbon footprint and help lower the amount of pollution that leads to the warming of the planet.
Some of these changes could be big, like installing solar panels on your roof or buying an electric vehicle. But even seemingly small changes, like ditching plastic grocery bags or choosing cleaner sunscreen, can add up and make a big difference for our planet.
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