White Pine Touring Nordic Center Closes Early After Warm Winter

The Park City center recorded just 38 days of open trails this season, far below the typical 130-day season.

Mar. 10, 2026 at 2:05am

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White Pine Touring Nordic Center in Park City, Utah, was forced to close weeks earlier than usual due to warm temperatures and inconsistent snowfall this winter. The center recorded just 38 days of open trails, compared to a typical 130-day season. Warm weather repeatedly erased snowpack, preventing the course from maintaining reliable snow coverage. The quick shift from fresh snow to rain effectively ended the season in late February, leaving trails running on mud and grass.

Why it matters

The early closure of White Pine Touring's Nordic center highlights the challenges that warm winters and unpredictable snowfall pose for winter sports businesses and outdoor recreation in mountain communities like Park City. With dozens of winter staff impacted by the reduced operations, the center's struggles reflect a broader trend of climate change disrupting traditional winter activities across the region.

The details

White Pine Touring's Nordic center opened briefly in early December before warm temperatures forced it to close just four days later. Though the shop had opened at the end of November, the trail operations remained largely on pause through December. The course reopened in early January when colder weather allowed staff to groom and run lessons for several weeks, but another warm stretch forced closures through much of February. A brief revival after a snowstorm on Feb. 17 was short-lived, and warm temperatures soon forced the course to close for the season.

  • The Nordic center opened briefly at the beginning of December before warm temperatures forced it to close four days later.
  • The course reopened in early January when colder weather allowed staff to groom and run lessons for several weeks.
  • A brief revival after a snowstorm on Feb. 17 was short-lived, and warm temperatures soon forced the course to close for the season in late February.

The players

White Pine Touring Nordic Center

A Nordic skiing center in Park City, Utah, that was forced to close weeks earlier than usual this winter due to warm temperatures and inconsistent snowfall.

Richard Hodges

The director of the White Pine Touring Nordic Center.

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What they’re saying

“The cruelness of this winter has just continued. We had the final storm and we had three days of some of the best skiing of the year, and then it was 60 degrees again.”

— Richard Hodges, Director, White Pine Touring Nordic Center

“When we groomed, the groomers worked. When we didn't groom, the groomers didn't work. When you depend on the weather, you depend on the weather. Everybody in the winter sports business here has been dealing with the same things.”

— Richard Hodges, Director, White Pine Touring Nordic Center

“For me it's a matter of managing budgets, but also managing people and keeping people engaged and enthusiastic. Everybody knows by looking out the window that it wasn't going to be a huge winter for working.”

— Richard Hodges, Director, White Pine Touring Nordic Center

What’s next

White Pine Touring is already discussing potential improvements, including limited snowmaking, to help the Nordic center remain more resilient during low-snow winters. The focus is now on closing out the season and preparing for next year, with the hope that conditions will return to normal.

The takeaway

The early closure of White Pine Touring's Nordic center underscores the growing challenges that warm winters and unpredictable snowfall pose for winter sports businesses and outdoor recreation in mountain communities like Park City. As climate change disrupts traditional winter activities, businesses will need to explore new strategies to adapt and remain viable in the face of increasingly volatile weather patterns.