With a forecast of warm weather for the foreseeable future and its slopes brown and bereft of snow, Mt. Shasta Ski Park is calling its season, about a month earlier than its traditional early to mid-April closing date.
General Manger Brendan Hickey made the announcement late Tuesday afternoon, March 10.
“We have made the call to officially close for this season. We will not be reopening. The forecast looks terribly warm with no (precipitation) at all. It’s just not gonna happen,” Hickey said on Facebook and Instagram.
Mt. Shasta Ski Park isn’t alone.
Mt. Ashland in southern Oregon paused its season “pending sufficient snowfall,” according to the resort’s website.
Winter came late to both resorts, which did not open until after Christmas in late December.
Mt. Shasta Ski Park’s slopes were covered in snow during the Christmas holiday and the resort managed to stay open, but the weather started warming up in January.
The warmer temperatures took their toll and forced the ski park to close for about a week in February due to a lack of snow. The resort, though, was able to reopen as a cold storm blew through the region around Presidents’ Day.
Temperatures in Mount Shasta City are expected to hit 60 degrees this weekend, and the highs could reach 70 degrees early next week, the National Weather Service said.
In Redding, late winter will really start to heat up this weekend.
Highs are expected to be in the mid- to high 80s on Saturday and Sunday before the mercury hits the low 90s on Monday and Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. The mostly sunny and warm weather will continue next week with no rain in the forecast.
Hickey said 2025-26 season pass holders can expect a credit because the resort did not meet its goal of being open at least 60 days.
“For our current season, we’re at day 55 out of 60. So, we did not meet our 60-day guarantee. So for … current season pass holders, we’re going to be rolling out credit via a promo code in your email,” he said.
Meanwhile, the lack of snow isn’t stopping Mt. Shasta or Mt. Ashland from celebrating this weekend.
Mt. Shasta Ski Park will host a season wrap-up party on Saturday.
“Come up, enjoy it. It’s St. Paddie’s themed, drink some green beers; we’re gonna have a scavenger hunt. Again, look for more details,” Hickey said.
Mt. Ashland will host Bavarian Night 2026 from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: California ski park ends season early. Weather hitting 90s?
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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