Central Oregon's Mount Bachelor ski area remained closed well past its traditional post-Thanksgiving opening as unusually warm conditions kept snow from accumulating, according to the Bend Bulletin.
What's happening?
Mount Bachelor delayed its planned opening of Nov. 28 after only 2 inches of snow clung to runs that typically require a 24-inch base, eventually opening officially for the 2025-26 winter season on Dec. 23.
In the final week of November, only about an inch of snow had fallen despite steadily dropping overnight temperatures.
Nearby Hoodoo ski area in Sisters faced similar conditions, with snow only dusting the parking lots. Officials held off on announcing an opening date until sufficient snowfall was recorded.
"We have more winter than summer days here in Bend," Rob McDonald, owner of Latitude 44 Sports, told the Bulletin. "Our inventory has increased with our new relationship with Skjersaa. Locals are taking advantage of the services we offer."
"But snow would help," he added at the time.
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A lack of snow has hit other local businesses hard as well. Hotel occupancy hovered around 50% in the winter months, compared with 80% to 90% during the summer.
Some ski equipment rental shops reported zero bookings at the time.
Why is this snow drought concerning?
Mount Bachelor opened on Nov. 15 last year — its earliest opening since 1998 — and recorded more than 450 inches of snow.
Twelve months later, the mountain didn't have enough snow to open at all.
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Definitely 👍 Snow droughts threaten communities that depend on winter recreation for economic survival. Workers lose income and businesses struggle to stay afloat when ski areas can't open on schedule.
Rising global temperatures amplify extreme weather, which can also create wider swings between conditions. Warmer air during the traditional snow season means that precipitation falls as rain instead of snow, even when storms arrive.
Ski resorts worldwide have been feeling similar pressure.
The Alps recently experienced shortened seasons and the closure of several resorts due to declining snowfall, while resorts in Australia and New Zealand have struggled with reliable coverage.
What's being done about the lack of snow?
"It might feel late this year because we had so much early-season snow last year … [but] it will come soon enough, though, and we'll be ready to spin lifts when it does," said Presley Quon, communications and community relations manager at Mount Bachelor.
Tim Picerno, manager at Tactics Boardshop, seemed to agree.
"We're pretty optimistic," he told the paper. "It's typical that most of the ski areas will open in December."
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