It was February and I was watching the radar for the third straight week. Nothing. Just a high-pressure ridge parked over the entire West like it owned the place. I wasn’t alone — according to reporting from The Colorado Sun and KUTV, US ski visits dropped sharply in the 2025-26 season as Western weather failed to show up. They called it “the winter that wasn’t.” That headline is going to follow the industry into pass sales season. Here’s what I think smart resorts are doing about it right now.
A Bad Snow Year Doesn’t Hurt Now — It Hurts in October
Here’s the thing nobody wants to say out loud: a down snow year doesn’t just cost you lift ticket revenue this season. It poisons the pass renewal window. Guests who drove four hours and found most of the mountain on hold aren’t rushing to lock in Early Bird pricing next fall. I’ve seen this dynamic play out at more than one resort, and the “we’ll get ‘em next year” mindset is a revenue cliff waiting to happen.
The good news is the window to do something about it is open right now — early May — before those guests make any decisions. The resorts that move first win this one.
Don’t Wait for the Snow — Be in Their Inbox Now
I know the temptation is to go quiet until conditions look better. That’s the wrong call. Right now the mountain is fresh in your guests’ memory. If you’re not in their inbox with an honest acknowledgment and a compelling reason to return, they start mentally shopping around — and those are gnarly odds to overcome in October.
What I’d send: a direct email to every season pass holder who had a below-average season by your own data. Not a form letter apology. A real message — here’s what we’re building this summer, here’s what’s confirmed for next season, and here’s a loyalty price we’re holding open through May 31 just for you. Make the ask before they forget they love the mountain.
I’ve written about how A-Basin turned their closing day into a retention moment — doubling down on the relationship instead of hiding from the weather. And Mammoth’s late-season playbook shows how a brand leans into authenticity when conditions get tough. Both are worth revisiting right now.
Let’s Not Snow Around the Issue
The resorts who protect their pass base after a tough season aren’t the ones who wait for snow to fall and hope people forget. They’re the ones building next season’s story right now, in May, when the emotional temperature is still manageable. They’re in the inbox. They’re honest. They’re first.
I’ve watched smart marketing teams turn a gnarly snow year into their best renewal cycle ever — because they were proactive, personal, and showed up before the competition did. The timing is right here, right now.
What does your renewal strategy look like right now? Are you leading with the relationship, or waiting on the snowpack? I’d genuinely like to know what’s working at your mountain.
