As ski season nears, most Idaho resorts have opening days set. What’s the snow outlook?

Shaun Goodwin

Snow is blanketing the Boise Foothills and mountains beyond, but it’s not truly winter in Idaho until ski season begins.

Going by that logic, winter officially begins in the Gem State on Saturday. Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area will be Idaho’s first ski resort to open, but it won’t attract anyone from the Treasure Valley.

The resort, located near Mullin in North Idaho, will be one of just 17 ski resorts in the Western U.S. to be open this weekend. According to the resort’s snow report, snow depth is at just 6 inches at the mountain’s base and 13 inches at the summit, though.

“You should bring equipment you feel matches early season conditions. If all you have is new gear, you may want to wait for more snow,” Matt Sawyer, marketing and sales director at Lookout Pass, said in a Ski Idaho news release.

Lookout Pass will be closed Mondays through Thursdays following the limited-time opening, but four more resorts are set to open the slopes next weekend:

Unfortunately, for those looking for fresh snow, it will be hard to come by for opening week, National Weather Service meteorologist Stefanie Henry told the Idaho Statesman.

“We’re not expecting a lot of precipitation in Central Idaho, but we can see isolated snow showers Saturday through early Sunday with that low (pressure system),” Henry said. “The panhandle, we’ll likely see patches of fog and maybe an isolated shower or two, but there’s not a whole lot of precipitation expected. Temperatures will be well below normal, so pretty cold.”

The same can be said for south-central and Eastern Idaho, where Pomerelle Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee Resort are located, respectively. Henry said the two locations are on the western edge of a low-pressure system that could provide snow showers late this weekend and early next week, but confidence in that forecast is relatively low.

Pomerelle Mountain has 18 inches of snow at the base, while Grand Targhee reports a snow depth of 59 inches.

The Boise and Bogus Basin region is forecast to experience near-normal chances of precipitation and below-normal temperatures for its opening weekend, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

Nick Hansen of Boise gets air with his skis at Bogus Basin on Nov. 27, 2021. With the help of manmade snow, Bogus Basin ski facilities opened to eligible season pass holders for Nov. 25-28. They plan to reopen on Saturday, Dec. 4, for daily winter season operations.
Nick Hansen of Boise gets air with his skis at Bogus Basin on Nov. 27, 2021. With the help of manmade snow, Bogus Basin ski facilities opened to eligible season pass holders for Nov. 25-28. They plan to reopen on Saturday, Dec. 4, for daily winter season operations.

Fortunately, the dry spell hanging over Idaho won’t last for long.

“There have been some more progressive systems coming in from the Pacific,” Henry said. “So there’s potential for more precipitation (after Thanksgiving), so we’re not expecting a prolonged dry period.”

Another four Idaho ski areas are opening Thanksgiving weekend, and six more have announced projected opening dates in December. Check below to see when your favorite ski area is aiming to open:

November

December

Bald Mountain Ski Area, Lost Trail Ski Area, Magic Mountain Ski Resort and Snowhaven Ski Area and Tubing Hill have yet to announce opening dates.

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