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Ski and snowboard resort opening dates, 2026-27

Nine of these ten resorts have announced a target opening date for the 2026-27 season. One has not, and that is normal for it. Every date below is linked to the source it came from, and all of them can move: the resorts say so themselves.

Resorts: 10

Dates announced: 9

Opening on snowfall: 1

Last checked: 2026-10-11

Breckenridge: State: Colorado; Opening day: Friday, November 6, 2026; Status: Announced
Copper Mountain: State: Colorado; Opening day: Friday, November 6, 2026; Status: Announced
Vail: State: Colorado; Opening day: Friday, November 13, 2026; Status: Announced
Mammoth Mountain: State: California; Opening day: Friday, November 13, 2026; Status: Announced
Park City Mountain: State: Utah; Opening day: Friday, November 20, 2026; Status: Announced
Whistler Blackcomb: State: British Columbia; Opening day: Friday, November 20, 2026; Status: Announced
Steamboat: State: Colorado; Opening day: Saturday, November 21, 2026; Status: Announced
Big Sky Resort: State: Montana; Opening day: Wednesday, November 25, 2026; Status: Announced
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort: State: Wyoming; Opening day: Friday, November 27, 2026; Status: Announced
Mt. Baker Ski Area: State: Washington; Opening day: Not announced; Status: Opens on snowfall

Read this before you book

Every date on this page is a target the resort can move. Vail Resorts states the caveat in its own announcement: opening dates are “subject to change based on weather and conditions”.
None of these ten resorts has announced a 2026-27 closing date. Jackson Hole says so outright. We would rather leave the column off than fill it in.
Opening day rarely means the whole mountain. Expect a limited set of lifts and runs, usually top-down, for the first few weeks.

Resort by resort

Breckenridge, Colorado

Vail Resorts publishes these as targeted dates “subject to change based on weather and conditions”. Opening-day terrain is normally limited.

The source says: “November 6 - Breckenridge (CO)”

Copper Mountain, Colorado

Stated on the resort's own site, labelled for the 26/27 season.

The source says: “26/27 Opening Day is set for Nov. 6!”

Vail, Colorado

From the owner's press release. Same weather caveat as every Vail Resorts date.

The source says: “November 13 - Vail Mountain (CO)”

Mammoth Mountain, California

Mammoth has historically avoided fixing a date and opened on snowfall. It named one this season, and it is on the resort's own opening-day page rather than only in the press.

The source says: “Opening Day: Friday, November 13, 2026”

Park City Mountain, Utah

The Friday before Thanksgiving, which is Park City's usual pattern.

The source says: “November 20 - Whistler Blackcomb (BC), Park City Mountain (UT)”

Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia

One resort-wide date. No separate Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain opening dates have been announced for this season.

The source says: “planned to open November 20, conditions permitting”

Steamboat, Colorado

Stated on the resort's own opening-day page and matched by its homepage countdown.

The source says: “2026/27 Opening Day: November 21, 2026, lifts open at 8:30am”

Big Sky Resort, Montana

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Big Sky's standing pattern. The resort says opening-day terrain detail is still to come, so expect limited acreage.

The source says: “Join us on Wednesday, November 25th, as we kick off our 2026-27 season.”

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming

Explicitly season-labelled on the resort's own site. The resort adds that “closing day has yet to be determined”.

The source says: “Opening Day for the winter 2026-27 season is November 27, 2026.”

Mt. Baker Ski Area, Washington

Mt. Baker has not announced an opening date, which is normal for the area: it opens on snowfall, and Mount Baker Highway access can gate it as much as snowpack does. Anyone publishing a Baker opening date this early is guessing.

The source says: “The season typically runs from late November until late April.”

Common questions

When does ski season start in 2026-27?

Of the ten resorts on this page, the earliest announced openings are Breckenridge and Copper Mountain on Friday, November 6, 2026. The latest announced is Jackson Hole on Friday, November 27. Mt. Baker has not announced a date and opens on snowfall.

Are these dates confirmed?

They are targets, not guarantees. Vail Resorts states the caveat in its own announcement: opening dates are subject to change based on weather and conditions. Nine of the ten have announced a date on the resort's own site or its owner's press release. Mt. Baker has announced nothing, which is normal for it.

When do these resorts close?

None of the ten has announced a closing date for this season. Jackson Hole says outright that closing day has yet to be determined. Any closing date you see published for this season is a guess.

Will the whole mountain be open on opening day?

Almost certainly not. Opening day normally means a limited set of lifts and runs, usually from the top down, with terrain expanding over the following weeks.

What to wear once you are off the hill

Each resort above links to our guide for what happens there after the lifts stop, where people go, what the temperature actually does, and how long you are outside between the two. The clothing answer is in what to wear après-ski, and the packing version is in the ski trip packing list.

Sources

Checked on 2026-10-11. Opening dates move. Before you book travel, confirm on the resort's own site, and treat any page that lists a closing date for this season as unreliable, because none of these resorts has published one.