Ski Resorts Close, Plan Closures Amid Warm Winters

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.