Snowmass Closes Early as Heatwave Melts Snowpack

The wind on Fanny Hill didn’t howl. It just blew dry, warm air over patches of bare rock and thin, slushy snow. Skiers navigated the limited coverage on Saturday, April 4, 2026, not with the confidence of a deep powder day, but with the careful balance of people who know the bottom is closer than they’d like. DJ Natti worked the crowd at Elk Camp. The closing party was on. The season was already over.

Snowmass Ski Area became the third local mountain to shut its gates early this winter. Easter Sunday marked the final day. It wasn’t a gradual fade. A recent heatwave and a quickly vanishing snowpack forced Aspen Skiing Company to call it quits a week early. The original plan was to stay open until April 12. That plan died with the snow.

This isn’t just about Snowmass. Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands closed early for the same reason. Poor conditions. Thin snow. The result is stark: only Aspen Mountain remains open. SkiCo stated Ajax will stay open “as long as possible,” with a tentative closing date of April 19. But “as long as possible” is a fragile promise when the thermometer climbs.

Make no mistake. The snowpack is vanishing. Fast.

Locals remember the winters where snow held through May. This year, the heat hit hard and early. The snow didn’t just melt; it disappeared. Skiers and snowboarders made the most of what was left, but the quality was compromised. The Meadows beginner terrain saw practice runs. The Village Express chairlift carried people up, only for them to navigate the thin coverage on the descent. It was a last stand.

The closing party at Elk Camp on Saturday felt less like a celebration and more like a wake. People gathered. They drank. They listened to the DJ. But the backdrop was a mountain running on fumes. The snow was thin. The rocks were visible. The end was inevitable.

Aspen Skiing Company didn’t issue a press release full of optimism. They issued a statement. Ajax stays open. For now. But the other three are gone. Sunlight closed up shop too. That’s two major resorts out. The pattern is clear. The climate is shifting. The snow is staying less.

Read that again. Two major resorts closed early. The conditions were poor. The heatwave was the catalyst. The snowpack was the victim.

For the locals, this means fewer days on the slopes. It means shorter seasons. It means paying the same price for less product. The financial impact on the community is immediate. Fewer skiers. Less spending on lift tickets, gear rentals, and food. The ripple effect hits the hotels, the restaurants, the shops.

The short version: Snowmass is done. The snow is gone. The heat won.

Aspen Mountain might hang on until April 19. But don’t bet on it. The trend is set. The snowpack is thin. The heat is here. And it’s not going away quietly.

The last skier on Fanny Hill didn’t look back. They just turned and headed down. The season was over. The mountain was ready to sleep. Until next year. If there is a next year.