Industry News
California’s Palisades Tahoe, the Spring Skiing Capital of North America and historically the last major resort in the Lake Tahoe region to close each season, announced yesterday that it will end the 2025–26 season roughly a month earlier than planned, citing a rapidly deteriorating snowpack driven by record-warm spring temperatures.
The resort had targeted Memorial Day, May 25, as its closing date. It now expects to shut down operations in late April, without committing to a specific date. In a post on its official blog, resort management acknowledged that the season’s snowfall deficit would prevent it from reaching that goal. “The lack of early and mid-season snowfall and a quickly diminishing base will not allow us to make our targeted closing date of May 25,” the resort stated.
The announcement came as an early, record-breaking spring heat wave accelerated snowmelt across the Tahoe basin, forcing numerous resorts to close ahead of schedule or announce revised end dates for the season.
As of this week, Palisades Tahoe is operating 16 lifts with access to approximately 30% of its trails, around 1,800 acres. The resort has seen 278″ of snow this season, and has a 44″ base, around 20% of average. Quality conditions remain at Gold Coast, Shirley, Siberia, and Solitude, but KT-22 has already closed for the season. Alpine Meadows is targeting April 5 as its final day of operation, with its base area snowpack below 20 inches.
Across California, resort closures have come in rapid succession throughout March. Mt. Shasta Ski Park shuttered on March 2, followed by Dodge Ridge, Mountain High Resorts, Snow Valley, and Mt. Baldy (the latter leaving open the possibility of a reopening should storms return) all on March 15. Badger Pass closed March 18, while Homewood, Donner Ski Ranch, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and China Peak each ceased operations on March 22, with Donner also holding out hope for additional snow. Big Bear is set to close on March 25. At Diamond Peak, the upper mountain has already gone dark, with the lower mountain expected to follow on March 29.
A full spring events calendar at Palisades Tahoe remains in place through late April, including the Toyota U.S. Mogul Freestyle Championships, live music series, and community fundraising events. Parking reservations have been eliminated, reverting to first-come, first-served access for the remainder of the season.
The resort left open the possibility, however slim, that conditions could shift. “There is also the likelihood of spring storms, which could change things up,” management noted, adding that it remains committed to operating as long as conditions permit.
