Industry News
For the past few weeks, many Oregon skiers and snowboarders have only had one thing on their Christmas list: snow. While the snowpack in Oregon currently remains low in comparison to historical averages, skiers and riders in the area are set to receive a small consolation prize today as both Mt. Hood Meadows and Mt. Bachelor open for the first day of the 2025-2026 season.
For Mt. Hood Meadows, the December 23 opening marks the latest opening day in 30 years, just edging out the previous record of December 22, 2014. In its opening announcement, Meadows mentioned it would have limited terrain open, including its Ballroom Carpet, Buttercup, and Easy Rider lifts, with the possibility of Daisy as well. The early season limitations extend to operating hours as well. While peak season usually includes night riding at Mt. Hood Meadows, its current schedule will have them spinning lifts from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. as the “snow cannot handle 12 hours a day of riding” in its current state of limited coverage.
To get lifts spinning after this December’s weather pattern is no easy feat, and the team at Meadows has been capitalizing on every inch of snow, harvesting snow from their parking lots to add to the slopes around the base and augment the recent natural snowfall. The mountain’s opening also comes with some consolations for visitors, as the team at Meadows lowered daily ticket pricing, limited daily lift tickets until Christmas day, and expanded available hours for night pass holders to help offset the limited terrain and operations and keep riders stoked.
A couple of hours to the South, Mt. Bachelor is capitalizing on about 19 inches of recent snowfall to open the Skyliner, Little Pine, Pine Marten, and Red Chair lifts today. The opening will come as welcome news to the mountain communities surrounding Mt. Bachelor, who have had to wait longer than normal for their hometown mountain to open its doors due to the unseasonably warm temperatures this fall. The later opening comes on the heels of Mt. Bachelor’s earliest opening in 20 years during the 2024-2025 season, which saw the first lifts moving on November 15. As they invite the first skiers and riders up for the season, Mt. Bachelor is urging visitors to stay on groomed trails and be aware of early season hazards that may exist under the thin snowpack.
While both of these Oregon resort stalwarts have gotten a later start than normal, history says that may not mean a subpar season down the line. Mt. Hood Meadows and Mt. Bachelor each are known to have seasons that often extend far into the spring, meaning there will be a lot more opportunities to get on snow over the next few months. As temperatures cool and Oregon looks ahead to more snowfall down the line, local skiers and visitors alike can take solace in the fact that this is just the beginning.
