Mixed Early Season Conditions in North America
20th November 2025
Last modified on November 25th, 2025
Winter is getting underway in the ski resorts of Canada & the USA. Some US resorts have been forced to delay their openings. UPDATED
The resorts around Banff in Alberta Canada are offering the best skiing – Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Mt Norquay.
Sunshine Village has the most terrain open in North America, as well as the deepest snowpack.
Nine out of ten lifts are running and the ski area has an upper base depth of 109 cm, and 56 cm on the lower slopes.
Nakiska in Alberta is also open, though Marmott Basin, further north in the Province, has delayed its opening.
The PlanetSKI team of Alex Cove and Marie Taylor was making turns in Sunshine Village earlier in November.
Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI
Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI
“We were up at Sunshine and it received about 5cm of fresh snow overnight,” said Alex.
“It was pretty rocky overall but there some some good bits of snow here & there, and it was simply great to be back on skis with the winter stretching ahead.
“Standish opened for the first time this season and they’re working on getting Angel open as soon as they can.”
Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI
Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI
Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI
We reported on the opening of Sunshine Village on PlanetSKI at the beginning of November:
It has not been so good in parts of the USA.
Jackson Hole in Wyoming is the latest resort to postpone its opening.
A message about our winter start: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will delay the opening of the 2025-26 winter season, due to unseasonably warm temperatures and lack of snowfall. We have received 26 inches of snow mid-mountain through November, and warm conditions have affected… pic.twitter.com/tofuxj4HoG
— Jackson Hole (@jhski) November 25, 2025
In Utah the snow has been poor with some resorts forced to delay their opening due to a lack of snow and warm temperatures.
Solitude, Brian Head, and Park City postponed their starts to the season.
Brain Head opened on Friday, November 21st.
The resort was originally scheduled to open on 7th November.
It postponed the opening day twice, first to 15th November and then to last Friday.
The delayed opening followed weeks of unusually warm weather across the southern Rockies.
Opening Day at Brian Head. Image c/o Brian Head.
Park City in Utah was due to open on Friday 21st November but it cancelled it, with no firm date set for opening.
“Despite the best efforts from the entire Park City Mountain team, who have been gearing up all summer to welcome guests back to the slopes, Mother Nature decided we could all use just a little more suspense,” said Park City spokesperson, John Kanaly.
“Our team is keeping a close eye on the forecast, and we’re watching for that perfect snowmaking window,” he added.
Deer Valley has also announced a postponement.
The resort had planned an earlier-than-normal opening this year, but current weather conditions do not yet allow the resort to open.
Deer Valley will announce a revised opening plan as soon as sustained cold temperatures allow for consistent snow making.
Several resorts in Colorado have already opened including Keystone, Breckenridge, Loveland and Arapahoe Basin.
Mammoth Mountain in California opened on Thursday 20th November, after two delays to its opening date.
On Monday 24th November Heavenly is set to open.
“For 70 years, Heavenly has been a staple of the community and the Lake Tahoe ski experience, bringing people together with incredible skiing, some of the best views on skis anywhere in the world, and high-energy events,” said Shaydar Edelmann, vice president and general manager at Heavenly.
“While the resort has grown from its humble beginnings back in 1955 with one single chairlift, the same heart, soul, and energy of this ski community continue to thrive.
“Our team at Heavenly can’t wait to celebrate this milestone season with our ski community from near and far.”
Another ski area that has opened is Arizona Snowbowl.
It opened on Thursday 20th November, one day ahead of schedule.
It has received 37 inches of snow since last Sunday, with more snowfall and snow making expected to continue.
Arizona Snowbowl, USA. Image c/o Arizona Snowbowl.
Early-season conditions exist in the resort, and the terrain is best suited for advanced skiers and riders.
“This storm delivered a phenomenal jumpstart to our season, and opening early is an exciting way to welcome riders and skiers back to the mountain,” said the Arizona Snowbowl marketing manager, Angie Grubb.
“Snowbowl is known for long, reliable seasons, and the amount of snow we’ve received this week gives us incredible momentum heading into winter.”
Arizona Snowbowl, USA. Image c/o Arizona Snowbowl.
The first resort in the eastern USA has also opened with Killington offering some skiing and snowboarding.
Mike Solimano, President and General Manager of Killington Resort and Pico Mountain, joined FOX Weather as the ski season kicks off in Vermont.
In Europe winter has got off to a good start, the best in recent years, with Val Thorens and Tignes in France opening this weekend.
There has even been a spot of November skiing on offer in the UK.
The ski area of Yad Moss in Cumbria and Cairngorm in Scotland have opened:
Yad Moss. Image c/o Yad Moss web camera.
Here at PlanetSKI we will be updating this article on conditions in North America, so do check back…
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