Another ski resort closes early as heat wave causes chaos for California’s winter sports

A Sierra Nevada ski resort says it’s wrapping up its season early as warm weather and rain rapidly wipe out its snowpack.

Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort announced it plans to stop operations at 4 p.m. Sunday unless a major late-season storm drops more snow in the coming week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The Central Sierra resort shared the update on Instagram, saying recent rainfall and unusually warm temperatures erased much of the snowfall that arrived during February’s powerful blizzard.

“We are hopeful that this will not be the end of our season, and aim to resume operations should we receive significant snowfall at a later time,” the ski resort announced.

The closure comes as a major heat wave builds across the West Coast, sending mountain temperatures soaring and accelerating snowmelt across the Sierra Nevada.

Current conditions show the region’s snowpack shrinking fast. In the Northern Sierra, levels have fallen to roughly 31% of the seasonal average for mid-March, with overall totals across the mountain range sitting well below normal.

Forecasters say temperatures in the mountains could climb into the 60s and even low 70s this weekend — conditions that can rapidly melt remaining snow.

The early shutdown means Sunday will likely serve as the resort’s season finale unless another storm system delivers fresh snowfall.

Season pass holders at Dodge Ridge will still have options to hit the slopes elsewhere. The resort said its passholders can continue skiing at its sister mountains, including Bear Valley Mountain Resort and China Peak Mountain Resort.

To mark the potential final day, the resort also said passholders can bring a guest to ski for free on Sunday.

The closure highlights the challenges ski areas face during warm spells late in the season, when even a short stretch of high temperatures can dramatically shrink the remaining snow cover.

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