Snow Drought, Strikes and Politics Rearrange Western U.S. Ski Season
TL;DR
A historic snow drought across the Western United States, paired with labor strikes at major resorts and restrictive international travel, has left the 2026 ski season among the worst in decades. Resorts report limited terrain and closures (e.g., Telluride), skier visits down sharply, lodging occupancy slipping, and political headwinds reducing international tourism, while the Northeast partly offsets the weakness. The drought also threatens water resources and foreshadows a volatile wildfire season, with little relief on the horizon.
- Western Ski Resorts and Their Terrible, Horrible, No Snow, Very Bad Year The New York Times
- 20-plus inches of snow on horizon as Colorado sits at record-low snowpack Denver Gazette
- Western states face 'snow drought' as snowpack hits record lows NBC News
- The West Faces Snow Drought NASA Science (.gov)
- Water monitors predict water restrictions in Colorado likely due to low snowpack CBS News
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