Ski Resorts Close, Plan Closures Amid Warm Winters

5 sources·Updated Sep 5, 2026

Unusually warm temperatures, limited cold fronts and frequent rain have produced exceptionally poor snow conditions for ski areas in Australia and the western United States. Australia recorded its lowest measured snow depth at Spencers Creek—31.2 centimeters—and several resorts closed early during the country’s shortest ski season on record; forecasters attribute the conditions to broader warming trends alongside seasonal weather patterns. In New Mexico, Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area will not open for the 2026-27 season after its owners described the preceding winter as the worst in the resort’s 40-year history. Declining snowfall, warmer winters, damage from a 2021 windstorm, high insurance and operating costs, and the collapse of a potential sale contributed to the decision, though the property remains for sale and could reopen under new ownership.

In this story:

El Niño-fueled global heat and wildfires in 2026story 36 of 36 · since Aug 12, 2026

Think Free

The IJR Daily

Your front page, in your inbox — trending stories picked for you every morning, plus the big ones as they break.

Email address

Free, no account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Aug 12, 2026Sep 5, 2026

Sep 5, 2026Ski resorts in Australia and North America face record-low snow depths and premature or canceled seasons as warming winters disrupt the industry.
Sep 5, 2026Algeria battles an unprecedented wave of wildfires across multiple provinces, killing at least 12 as President Tebboune calls for reinstating the death penalty for arsonists.
Sep 5, 2026A landslide tied to Typhoon Saudel in Jiangxi province kills at least one person and leaves about 11 missing, compounding the storm's destruction across the region.