Snowmass Closes Early April 5 Amid Thin Snowpack and Price Cuts

Janelle Sohner, senior manager of Brand Communications at the Aspen Skiing Company, calls it “a fun way to celebrate and close out the season.” She’s excited to keep the “stoke” alive. But let’s look at the ledger. The stoke is being managed by closing the lifts seven days early and cutting the price of admission.

Snowmass is shutting down for the 2026/27 season this Sunday, April 5.

The mountain was supposed to stay open until April 12. That’s a full week of potential skiing. Instead, the Aspen Skiing Company (SkiCo) is pulling the plug based on “current conditions.” The official line is that recent snowfall is “welcomed” but “not enough to maintain our terrain and safety standards.” In plain English: the snowpack is thin, the wind has scoured the high alpine, and it’s too expensive or risky to keep the lifts running for a few more days.

This isn’t an isolated event. Buttermilk closed on March 25. Aspen Highlands shut its gates on March 29. We’re watching the entire Aspen Four lose their base layers one by one. Snowmass is the last of the big three to bow out before Aspen Mountain decides to stay open “as long as possible.”

The financial mechanics of this early closure are straightforward. SkiCo is adjusting its pricing structure to move product. Starting Monday, April 6, daily lift tickets drop to $98 for adults and $81 for teens and children. That’s a discount, sure, but it’s a discount on what’s left. You’re paying nearly $100 for access to a mountain that’s likely half-empty and covered in patchy corn snow. The promotion excludes pass holders and other discounts, meaning regular day-skiers are the only ones feeling the pinch of this transition.

Locals who rely on Snowmass for their spring ski commute or their weekend family outings are losing a major asset. The final weekend isn’t just a quiet wind-down. There’s an end-of-season party at Elk Camp Restaurant on Saturday, April 4. The restaurant closes at 4 p.m. The last upload on the Elk Camp Gondola is at 3:45 p.m. If you miss that window, you’re walking down. It’s a logistical squeeze for anyone trying to grab a drink and a view before the lifts stop.

SkiCo’s press release thanks “all guests, locals and athletes” and highlights employees who “adapted to changing conditions.” It’s a polite way of saying the weather was bad, the snow was light, and they kept the lights on as long as the math allowed. They’re grateful, but they’re also cutting losses.

For the folks in the valley, this means the ski season is effectively over for the major resorts. Aspen Mountain might hang on a bit longer, but don’t expect a miracle. The snow conditions that dictated Snowmass’s early exit will dictate Aspen Mountain’s fate. When the wind picks up and the sun melts the crust, the lifts go down.

The immediate impact is on your wallet and your schedule. If you have a lift ticket for Sunday, you’re good. If you were planning to ski next week, you’re paying a premium for a diminished product. The $98 ticket price for an adult on a Monday isn’t a bargain; it’s a fee for the privilege of skiing on a mountain that’s already packing it in.

The bottom line is simple. The season is done. The snow is gone. SkiCo is closing the gates, cutting the ticket price, and moving on to the next fiscal cycle. Enjoy the last few runs at Elk Camp, but don’t expect the mountain to wait for you.