Skiing news

• Midwest's Ski Season Kicks Off With Surprise Opening

  30-10-2023 18:35 via powder.com
  
  This past weekend, on October 28th, Andes Tower Hills, Minnesota, became the first Midwestern ski area to open for the ski season.The resort's tentative scheduled opening was November 11th, so the opening -- which spanned October 28th and 29th -- was ahead of schedule.This weekend, Andes Tower Hills had its magic carpet service a patch of manmade snow thanks to cold temperatures. Last season, the resort was also able to open in October.Three generations of skiers graced the slopes of Andes Tower
  
  Read more

• How a Beloved Idaho Ski Area Is Adapting To Fire Danger

  16-07-2026 19:55 via powder.com
  On July 6, 2026, the Claremont Fire broke out in the Boise foothills and has since spread to over 6,100 acres. In an effort to chip in, non-profit ski hill, Bogus Basin, which sits just outside Boise, has turned its snowmaking team's efforts to wildfire mitigation.
  While there's not much snow to be made in July, the equipment used to do so in the fall and winter is actually fairly handy for keeping moisture around in the summer.
  Bogus has placed snowmaking guns in areas with access to water and
  
  Read more

• Skiers Speed Down Drainage Ditch Straight Into the Ocean

  16-07-2026 18:47 via powder.com
  Over the years, a steep drainage ditch in Lions Bay near Vancouver, British Columbia, has seen plenty of action—as in, skiers and kayakers searching for a shot of pure adrenaline. Up next is Everest Hughes, who tackled the snow-free line with plenty of style alongside his buddy Leif Coopman. The only problem? Hughes apparently, and unsurprisingly, needs some new skis and boots afterward. Neither salt water nor cement is good for ski equipment.Tap or click below to watch.View this
  
  Read more

• Wildfire Smoke Prompts Partial Closure of Michigan Ski Resort

  16-07-2026 16:19 via powder.com
  As wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota smothers large parts of Michigan, at least one local ski resort, Boyne Mountain, opted to partially shut down on Wednesday afternoon.The ski resort announced that several of its summer activities, from its zipline to scenic lift rides, would close for the rest of the day. Its scenic carts stayed open, and Boyne Mountain continued to honor golf tee times that had already been booked, but didn’t allow any new ones.In its mountain report, Boyne Moun
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• FAA Greenlights Drones for Avalanche Mitigation

  15-07-2026 19:49 via powder.com
  Over the last several years, drones have become both more advanced and more user-friendly, which has opened up a new realm of use cases for the aerial devices.
  From their ability to capture a new perspective on big mountain skiing to their use in land surveying, crop monitoring, and search and rescue missions, it's clear that the sky is quite literally the limit with these devices.
  Of course, accessibility is a double-edged sword, with the potential to interfere with airspace and violate privacy
  
  Read more

• Chilean Ski Resort Closes Indefinitely Ahead of Forecasted 200-Inch Blizzard

  15-07-2026 19:40 via powder.com
  Ski Portillo is battening down the hatches.Only weeks after a lack of snow forced the Chilean ski resort to start the season later than planned, a massive winter storm is set to arrive in full on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
  So massive, in fact, that Portillo has opted to close for several days, with no one leaving or entering the resort during the blizzard. The ski slopes also won’t be open for safety reasons.According to Portillo’s website, its access roads are already closed. The reso
  
  Read more

• Low-Key Utah Ski Resort Hits Zillow for $22.5 Million

  15-07-2026 12:09 via powder.com
  Interested in buying a ski resort? You’ll need a cool $22.5 million.That’s the recent listing price of Cherry Peak, a small Utah mountain in Cache County that went on sale on Monday.This isn’t a prospective ski area. Rather, it’s one that, since 2015, has served local Logan-area skiers and snowboarders and is about an hour and a half north of Salt Lake City by car. “It's a fully operational resort,” said Rob Silk, a land professional with Great Plains Lan
  
  Read more

• Lasers and Robot Arms: How Raw Materials Become Fresh Skis

  14-07-2026 21:01 via powder.com
  Ever wondered what it takes to make a pair of skis? Jason Levinthal, the visionary behind early twin-tip models and owner of J Skis, has the answer. In a recent video, he ventured to Utopie, the Quebec-based manufacturer he uses for J, to provide a look at the behind-the-scenes process that transforms raw materials into planks that are fun to ride. Turns out, it’s a bit like making a sandwich. The process starts with edges, fiberglass, wood cores, tips, and top sheet graphic
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• OnX Backcountry Now Offers $50/year Rescue Insurance

  14-07-2026 20:47 via powder.com
  Powder aims to feature only the best products and services.If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Accidents happen. Spend enough time in the mountains, whether skiing, mountain biking, running, climbing, boating, or just walking your dog, and you'll likely have to pay the piper. The good news, the piper's hitherto exorbitant fees have gotten a whole lot more affordable thanks to a new rescue insurance plan and in-app satellite communication capability from OnX Backco
  
  Read more

• A Farewell From The Tele Dribble

  14-07-2026 20:09 via powder.com
  Thirteen months ago, sitting at my computer on a warm Wednesday evening in June, in a quiet moment hours after my children were asleep and all our chores were finished, I wrote the first draft of this article. Even then, I knew this little project I lucked into wasn’t long for this world. And that day has come. This will be the final installment of my column here at POWDER that has been known as The Tele Dribble.While I long had vague dreams of being a writer, I only began writing in earne
  
  Read more

• I Can't Live Without the Sweet Protection Bushwhacker 2Vi MIPS Mountain Bike Helmet

  14-07-2026 19:46 via powder.com
  Powder aims to feature only the best products and services.If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.I crashed my bike, hard, the other week.
  I brushed myself off and assessed the damage as I watched blood pour down my leg.I was relatively unscathed, except for a nasty gash under my right eye, but my beloved helmet had taken a serious beating. Scratched, dented, and looking worse for wear, the Sweet Protection Bushwhacker 2Vi MIPS that I had owned for three seasons had
  
  Read more

• Vail Resorts Attempts Its Largest Rebrand Yet

  14-07-2026 19:41 via powder.com
  What’s Vail Resorts’ biggest goal going forward? Selling more Epic Passes? Not quite. Instead, according to a recent announcement, the company plans to focus on the “guest experience,” improving amenities like on-mountain food and ski lessons, apparently banking on future growth tied to visitors having a better time at Vail Resorts’ ski areas than at other mountains.“For years, Vail Resorts focused on building the Epic Pass model and expanding its resort
  
  Read more

• Resort Group Announces New Luxury Property in Georgia's Caucasus Mountains

  14-07-2026 19:22 via powder.com
  A hotel group has officially staked its claim in the ski industry with the signing of a ski resort in the Republic of Georgia. United Arab Emirates-based group, Rotana Hotels, has properties across the Middle East, Africa, and now, Eastern Europe.
  In May, Rotana Hotels formalized an official agreement between the hotel group's senior leadership team, a development partner, and NOA, the Italian architecture firm known for its work in mountain hospitality. The agreement was signed in a ceremony in
  
  Read more

• A "True Test of Resilience": After Tough Winters, Wisconsin Ski Area Exits Bankruptcy

  14-07-2026 12:47 via powder.com
  After a bumpy few ski seasons, Wisconsin’s Whitecap Mountains Resort has exited bankruptcy and has a court-approved debt repayment plan.The ski area’s owner, David Dziuban, shared the news in a Facebook post last week, writing, “The journey here was a true test of resilience.”Both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons didn’t treat Whitecap well, with historically low snowfall and a significant drop in revenue. During the 2023-24 season, the resort generated around $197,00
  
  Read more

• Civilian Drone Interrupts California Firefighting Efforts

  13-07-2026 20:58 via powder.com
  On Sunday, July 12, 2026, the Sierra County Sheriff's Department issued a statement regarding illegal drone activity hindering wildland firefighting efforts on the Elephant Fire.
  North of Truckee, near Loyalton, California, the Elephant Fire is still burning and has affected more than 6,400 acres, as of Monday, July 13.On Sunday, aerial firefighting efforts were temporarily grounded after a civilian illegally flew a drone in the area. Another citizen reported the drone to the Sierra County Sheri
  
  Read more

• "Cozy" New Cross-Country Skiing Video Game Launched for Free

  13-07-2026 20:39 via powder.com
  It’s July. Across much of the U.S. and beyond, temperatures are broiling, the sun is shining, and many of us are just surviving from glass of iced lemonade to glass of iced lemonade. The invigorating chill of a winter morning couldn’t feel any further.A new, brilliant little Nordic skiing game makes the colder months feel closer, though. Aptly called Nordic and recently shared by ClubChaos on a subreddit dedicated to independent game development, the free game simulates cro
  
  Read more

• Multiple Wildfires Are Burning Near Steamboat Resort, Colorado

  13-07-2026 19:57 via powder.com
  Two new wildfires have broken out in Routt County, Colorado. Located in the northwestern corner of the state, Routt County encompasses the towns of Steamboat Springs, Oak Creek, Yampa, Clark, and Hayden, as well as Rabbit Ears Pass on Highway 40.
  Near Rabbit Ears Pass, the Fishhook Fire broke out on Sunday, July 12. As of Monday, July 13, the fire is burning at just over 94 acres. Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue posted on their Facebook page on Sunday afternoon that the US Forest Service was respo
  
  Read more

• Helicopter Working To Install Colorado's Newest Ski Lift

  13-07-2026 19:53 via powder.com
  It's presumably been a loud week in Durango, Colorado, where helicopters are installing towers for Purgatory Resort's new "Colorado Couloir" triple chairlift.The new chair is slated to open in December of 2026 and will span about 4,200 feet with 1,600 feet of vertical rise. The ride time will be approximately nine minutes. It will connect Purgatory's Gelande parking lot to the "Top of 6" area, providing another easy way to access the mountain.
  The new lift will come with new trails, too. Purgato
  
  Read more

• Massive Blizzard Could Dump 100 Inches of Snow on South America's Ski Resorts This Week

  13-07-2026 19:28 via powder.com
  A winter storm, possibly a massive one, is brewing in South America. As of now, multiple forecasts show intense snowfall slamming ski resorts in the region later this week. At Ski Portillo, a famed Chilean resort frequented by skiers from North America, the precipitation should pick up Thursday night (July 16, 2026), with as much as two feet of snow expected on Friday, according to snow-forecast.com. Further south, in Chile’s Tres Valles, all three ski resorts—Valle Ne
  
  Read more

• Lake Stahahe Paddle

  12-07-2026 14:00 via nyskiblog.com
  Visiting a state park or a beach on July 4 is a little bit like going skiing on Martin Luther King Day. You should expect crowds. Harriman State Park gets very busy on a normal summer weekend. People from New York City, New Jersey and surrounding areas come in droves to picnic and swim at the lakes. July 4 weekend is a whole ‘nother level. Harriman’s summer crowds are not known for being rule followers but when Independence Day rolls » Read More »
  The NYSkiBlog: NYSkiBlog
  
  Read more

• Webcam Spots Runaway Snowmobile Chase at Australian Ski Resort (Video)

  12-07-2026 12:00 via powder.com
  We’ve all had bad days at work. The copier, improbably, decides to start speaking Greek and refuses to return to English. You spill hot coffee all over yourself, but it’s only hot enough to ruin the rest of your shift, not file a lawsuit. Management hosts a “pizza party” but declines to mention that it’s only “pizza themed,” and you won’t actually be eating any pizza.All instances suck. But they might pale in comparison to what a presumed empl
  
  Read more

• Swedish Professional Skier Goes Big in Summer Ski Adventure Up North (Video)

  11-07-2026 12:00 via powder.com
  Aside from a few exceptions, the ski season in North America has come to an end. Instead of skiing, we're biking, climbing, and doing whatever other hobbies best distract from the fact that, yes, there are three to four months before winter begins anew.
  But that doesn't mean that in other corners of the northern hemisphere, skiers aren’t still getting after it.Recently, the high-flying Swede Jesper Tjäder stopped by Skistar Trysil, a Scandinavian ski resort that bu
  
  Read more

• North Carolina Updates Ski Safety Law With "Needed" Changes

  10-07-2026 20:33 via powder.com
  A new update signed in North Carolina significantly changes the state’s ski resort laws, including making it a misdemeanor to leave the scene of a skier-on-skier collision without providing contact information or to misuse a ski pass.The legislation was signed into law by Governor Josh Stein on July 7 and goes into effect on October 1.The North Carolina Ski Areas Association called the tweaks to the Winter Sports Safety Act, which was last updated in 2009, “needed.”“These
  
  Read more

• Colorado Fire Crew Escorted by Unexpected New Team Member: A Goat

  10-07-2026 19:21 via powder.com
  I'll level with you, this has literally nothing to do with skiing. I can't even feign that this is ski-related. But you know what? It's July. Not much is happening in skiing, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, what is happening is wildfires, lots of them, marching across the American West. In Colorado, a wildfire burning near Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado Springs was dubbed the Rock Creek fire. While the fire started out fairly fast-moving, by Thursday, July 9, t
  
  Read more

• Utah Ski Resort Owner Launches Nonprofit After Devastating Wildfire

  10-07-2026 18:31 via powder.com
  After the Cottonwood Fire torched parts of the ski area he owns, Eagle Point, Utah, Shane Gadbaw has announced the launch of BeaverTUF, a nonprofit focused on recovery in the Beaver area and, over time, youth programs.“In the months ahead, BeaverTUF will help address recovery and restoration needs that may not be covered by insurance, FEMA, or other assistance programs,” a social media post from Eagle Point reads. The nonprofit website adds planned BeaverTUF projects, including
  
  Read more

• Odds of El Niño Lasting Until Next Spring Almost Certain, New Forecast Says

  10-07-2026 00:07 via powder.com
  Another month, another update from the Climate Prediction Center and, this time, the agency’s odds of an enduring and “very strong” El Niño are climbing even higher.The climate phenomenon, which can impact weather around the world and how a given winter shakes out, first arrived in June.Now, the CPC expects it to grow in strength with a 97% chance it lasts through early spring 2027. The forecasted peak is between October and December, with an 81% chance that this El
  
  Read more

• Colorado Ski Area Opens Lottery To Buy Historic Lift Chairs, but Not Everyone Can Win

  09-07-2026 21:37 via powder.com
  Loveland Ski Area is giving the public a chance to own a piece of one of its most historic chairlifts. Lift 5, which spanned a half-mile over Highway 6, linking Loveland Basin and Loveland Valley together, is being removed. The Heron Poma double chair was first installed in 1975, although the lift hasn't operated since 2002. Shuttle buses have replaced the lift to transport skiers in more recent years, but the lift stayed standing until recently. Loveland is now auctioning off 130 chai
  
  Read more

• Monarch Mountain Shares Future Plans, Including New Chairlifts

  09-07-2026 18:57 via powder.com
  The new Master Development Plan (MDP) for Monarch Mountain, a homey ski area in western Colorado, has been accepted by the Forest Service, offering a glimpse of how Monarch Mountain’s future could look, including prospective new lifts and other improvements.The Forest Service requires ski areas that operate on its land to submit these documents. While they include proposed projects, they don’t officially approve them. Instead, each must still go through the National Environmental Pol
  
  Read more

• Russian Gondola Malfunction Creates Mid-Air Traffic Jam

  09-07-2026 12:01 via powder.com
  A routine gondola ride went sideways when several cabins piled up against one another in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, creating a mid-air traffic jam. The Daily Express reported that a malfunction caused the cabins to bunch together, and they hung that way in the air for over an hour, trapping 16 passengers, including four children.According to the outlet, no injuries were reported, with rescuers lowering passengers to the ground using ropes. An investigation into the accident is underway.
  
  Read more

• New Zealand Ski Areas Walloped by 30+ Inches of New Snow

  08-07-2026 20:02 via powder.com
  Talk about a welcome surprise.While many resorts across the southern hemisphere have seen a slow start to the winter season, some New Zealand mountains, including Mt. Lyford, are now digging out after a big storm.The ski area, in a social media post, proudly announced that between 70 and 80 centimeters of snow had fallen. Or, about 30 inches. According to its website, Mt. Lyford remains closed but plans to open on Friday or Saturda “once the pack stabilises and we have dug out the are
  
  Read more

Follow @Skiing_nws_USA on Twitter!