Halloween Brings Treats to California’s Ski Resorts as Powder Piles Up

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As a storm rolled into California’s Sierra Nevada over Halloween weekend, there were questions about freezing levels. Would it snow at the base of ski resorts? How much rain would be involved?

The answers, it turned out, were mostly good ones. From Palisades Tahoe to Mammoth Mountain, serious snow fell, in some cases exceeding the 12-inch mark.

In Mammoth’s parking lots, snow stacked up on cars and, on the upper mountain, slopes looked skiable even if they aren’t quite ready for primetime yet. Still, the resort’s aiming for a near-future opening with November 13 on the calendar, conditions permitting. Between nine and 15 inches arrived at Mammoth over the weekend.

Here’s a look inside the latest storm.

Mammoth Mountain Storm Photos

For Palisades Tahoe, the storm appeared a bit more modest but was still enough to produce top-to-bottom coverage. Snow hung from the iconic Olympic rings and white-clad peaks peered over the tops of the trees.

Palisades Tahoe Storm Photos

The resort with the most ambitious opening timeline around Lake Tahoe is Mt. Rose, which plans to start the party on Friday, November 6, conditions permitting. The coverage there looks solid, and one webcam, if you looked closely, even showed a few cheeky pre-season ski tracks.

Other local hotspots checked in to report snow, too. To name a few: Sugar Bowl, Heavenly, Kirkwood, and Northstar.

Beyond California, the widespread storm benefited the broader West, with resorts in Utah and Colorado also reporting solid totals. While the selection of now-open ski resorts in North America remains small, it’s set to grow in the coming weeks.

Like Mt. Rose, Brian Head, Utah, is shooting for November 6. And at Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, the season is already underway. Lake Louise, Alberta, also opened over the weekend, marking its second-earliest opening in history.

While it’s a bit early to say what all the snow means for the season ahead—a lot can change in the coming months, and we Western skiers are understandably feeling a little nervous after last winter—the stoke train has plenty of momentum. Hang on to your helmets.

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This story was originally published by POWDER on Nov 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add POWDER as a Preferred Source by clicking here.