Industry News
The difficult winter across parts of the United States has claimed its first casualty. Soldier Mountain, Idaho, announced it will end all winter operations for the remainder of the season, citing persistent weather issues and unsafe mountain conditions.
The small community ski area in the Soldier Mountains of Idaho, about 10 miles north of Fairfield, said the decision came after weeks of hoping conditions would improve. The mountain typically operates 36 trails across 1,150 acres with a 1,400-foot (427-meter) vertical drop, but this season never fully got going.
In a statement to the public, the resort said shutting down early was not something the team wanted to do. “Due to ongoing weather conditions and the resulting safety concerns on the mountain, we’ve made the difficult decision to discontinue all winter activities for the remainder of the season,” the resort said. “Like many of you, we’ve been hoping for winter to finally arrive and allow us to open more terrain and build momentum for the season. Unfortunately, the conditions simply haven’t improved enough to safely continue operations.”
The resort thanked its loyal community of skiers and riders, saying support from locals and visitors has kept the mountain alive. “Soldier Mountain exists because of people like you,” the statement read. “We’re incredibly grateful for the support, patience, and encouragement we’ve received.”
The closure comes after a winter that was unusually dry across parts of Idaho and the Intermountain West. Soldier Mountain only managed to open January 10, weeks later than usual, after a storm delivered 12–15 inches of snow that allowed limited terrain to operate. Even then, coverage remained thin. Seasonal snowfall totals reached only about 26 inches at times during the winter, with base depths hovering around 10–20 inches.
Snowpack monitoring stations in the region have shown extremely low totals—around 7% of normal at one nearby site earlier in the season.
While larger resorts such as Sun Valley and Bogus Basin have been able to rely on snowmaking and higher elevation terrain, smaller community hills without snowmaking infrastructure often struggle in these kinds of winters.
Ironically, the forecast suggests winter may finally return just as the resort shuts down. Weather forecasts for the mountain in the coming days show a shift toward colder conditions with several chances for snow. Temperatures are expected to drop from around 40°F to 27–35°F with intermittent snow showers and the possibility of several inches of new snow early next week. But by the time those storms arrive, the resort says it will already have ended operations.
For many independent ski hills across the U.S., winters like this are especially challenging. Unlike major destination resorts, smaller mountains often rely almost entirely on natural snowfall and local visitation. When storms fail to materialize—or arrive too late—the economics of keeping lifts spinning become difficult.
Soldier Mountain acknowledged the disappointment but said the focus has already shifted toward the future.
“While this winter didn’t unfold the way any of us hoped, we’re already looking ahead and working toward better seasons to come. We look forward to welcoming you back to the mountain soon.”
For now, the lifts at Soldier Mountain will stop spinning early—but like many ski areas facing difficult winters, the community is already hoping next year brings the kind of storms this season never quite delivered.
Those with pass products for the 2025-26 season are advised to contact the resort.
