It’s no secret that winter in North America is no longer what it used to be.
In the U.S., the most recent winter ranked among the warmest on record. In fact, it was the second-warmest since records began in 1895. Average temperatures were about five degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term winter average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dry conditions were also widespread across much of the West and South.
In Canada, the winter of 2024–25 was the fifth warmest on record, with national average temperatures 6.7 degrees Fahrenheit (3.7 degrees Celsius) above the 1961–1990 average, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Warmer-than-average conditions were recorded across most of the country, and several regions experienced below-average snowfall and reduced snowpack.
While all of this has made life easier for the average person, it’s been a much different story for members of the snow grooming community. The warmer temperatures and lack of snowfall in many regions have made their job far more challenging than it once was. “I mean, it’s just all over the place,” said longtime snow groomer Brandon Dodds of the recent changes to weather patterns.
Grooming in an era of unpredictable snow
Dodds works for The Stomping Grounds Projects and has been involved in preparations for several high-profile events, including the Winter X Games and the most recent Rockstar Energy Open, which was held Dec. 19–21, 2025, at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado.
It’s to the point now where you can’t waste a snowflake.
Cory Ross, Buttermilk Ski Resort
“We’ll have seasons where we get an abnormal amount of snow, and it’s hard to keep up with digging the stuff out and keeping up with the amount of snowfall. And then we’ve had the complete opposite where it’s warm and we have a lack of snow, and that usually means we also have a lack of snowmaking temperatures, which a lot of our stuff relies on,” said Dodds.
Cory Ross, terrain park grooming lead for Buttermilk Ski Resort in Aspen, Colo., agrees that the work he and his snow grooming counterparts perform has become far more challenging due to the unpredictability of the changing winter weather patterns. That’s especially true when it comes to staging events such as the X Games, the U.S. Grand Prix and the FAT Ice Race, which he’s been a part of.
Building an event with almost no snow
This year’s FAT Ice Race, held Feb. 27–28 at Moonlight Basin near Big Sky, Mont., was a perfect example of that. The event is a two-day celebration of car culture, highlighted by a driving competition on an ice track featuring some of the top professional drivers from around the globe.
Ross, who also owns his own Frozen Circuits grooming company, built the track for the event. With just 10 days before the race, there was barely any snow on the ground, and there were large patches of bare dirt where the racetrack was supposed to be. “Honestly, we were at the point where we just had to laugh. It was like, ‘I can’t believe this,’” he said.
The lack of groundcover forced Ross and his crew to work overtime to make the snow needed to build the track, safety barriers and viewing areas required for the event. He estimates that 90% of the snow used at the venue was man-made.
Making things even more challenging was the fact that the mountainside flat dirt shelf that had been dug for the track wasn’t even, which meant some parts required only six inches of snow while others needed as much as 18 inches. That snow had to be compacted, then flooded using a 2,000-gallon water truck, and leveled for racing. Temperatures were so warm in the days leading up to the event (55 degrees Fahrenheit or 13 degrees Celsius) that the ice turned to slush and the track had to be redone the night before.
The good news is the race went off without a hitch, and the feedback Ross and his crew received was largely positive. “It was as good as we wanted it to be if we’d had perfect conditions,” he said. “A few days out from the event, we’d been telling them, ‘Guys, we might be down to bare dirt halfway through the first day.’ There were 103 cars [racing], and half the cars were running on anywhere from a two-millimeter to seven-millimeter studded tires, so you can imagine what the tires do to a snow and ice surface. But it held up great.”
When every snowflake counts
Ross says the below-average snowfall has forced ski areas and event organizers to rely far more heavily in recent years on man-made snow to stage events like the Winter X Games. They’re also focusing more on stockpiling snow and farming it to ensure they have enough to suit their needs. “It’s to the point now where you can’t waste a snowflake. It’s like every snowflake is accounted for, for the most part,” he said.
The lack of snow is often compounded by warmer-than-usual temperatures. Dodds says that means there are fewer days suitable for snowmaking, and grooming teams have to work even harder on the days that are.
It seems like some of the best skiing now is late in the season, not early in the season.
Brandon Dodds, The Stomping Grounds Projects
“With snowmaking, if it’s cold enough, you can kind of count on getting that supplemental snow. You can make up for the lack of natural snow. What we’re seeing now a lot of times … is we’re not getting the snowmaking temps to produce snow,” he said.
“For the building [of features], we’re having to adjust more on the fly. As far as grooming … a lot of times, the first seven to 10 days, we don’t have our tillers on. We’re just bulk pushing and shaping. And with the warmer temperatures and lack of snow, we have to be really careful that we’re not burning out the run and finding all the dirt spots.”
Reinforcing vulnerable terrain
Some sections of ski terrain require reinforcement to prevent erosion and maintain slope stability. Steep areas, drainage crossings and locations with heavy water flow can be especially vulnerable to soil movement. In these locations, resorts may install erosion control measures such as rock armoring, retaining walls or reinforced drainage channels. These features help stabilize the terrain and protect slopes from damage during heavy rain or spring snowmelt.
Geotextile fabrics and other erosion-control materials are sometimes used beneath the soil surface to improve slope stability. These materials reinforce the ground and reduce the likelihood that trails will degrade over time. By strengthening vulnerable sections of terrain, resorts can avoid costly repairs and maintain safer conditions for winter operations. Stabilized slopes are less likely to develop ruts or obstacles that could interfere with grooming equipment or pose risks to skiers.
Timing the work to the snow
Warmer temperatures and low snowfall totals can mean groomers have to pay even more attention to the clock than usual. In the case of FAT Ice, Ross and his team had to shift to a nighttime schedule because it was simply too warm during daylight hours to process the required snow. Dodds says the key to building and grooming in such conditions is finding just the right sweet spot. That means getting to work when the snow is like “butter” and can be easily smoothed out before it freezes.
“As soon as it snaps freeze on us, it becomes really difficult to maintain the shapes that we’re trying to maintain just because the snow consistency gets so different,” he said.
Planning and technology help fill the gaps
Ross and Dodds both agree that while the recent changes in weather patterns have forced groomers to become more adaptable, planning ahead is still a critical part of the job.
Dodds says event sponsors and organizers often require a detailed plan as part of contract negotiations. For an event like the X Games, that can mean submitting a sketched-up plan and 3D model as early as the previous summer. That also gives a fabricator time to produce items such as metal sliding rails and install them prior to the competition.
Technology is helping groomers deal with some of the uncertainty caused by Mother Nature. Several newer snowcat models now come with snow radar. That means calculations of how much snow is needed for a particular feature or area can be determined using 3D modeling, which can be downloaded directly to the machine and its operator. The best part is that data can be stored for future use.
What the future may hold for winter events
Dodds and Ross acknowledge that the fluctuating weather patterns are causing some uncertainty among members of the snow grooming community regarding the future of events like the X Games and the Rockstar Energy Open. Can they continue and, if so, how will they need to adapt to survive?
“It’s one of those things where we need to wait and see. Is this a fluke or more of a trend? But it’s in the back of everyone’s mind. What’s it going to take to keep pulling these off?” asked Ross. He says ski areas must be adaptable if recent weather patterns continue. “For me, personally, in the back of my mind, I’m always kind of thinking [about] another option if something doesn’t work. We need to find different ways to do things. We’ve got to be able to change,” he said.
Dodds says that uncertainty could mean some early-season events normally held in late November or early December might be shifted to later in the winter.
“I’ve been in Tahoe for 28 years. It seems like winter doesn’t start now until early or mid-January. It’s getting really difficult to guarantee a big event in late November or even December,” he said. “It seems like some of the best skiing now is late in the season, not early in the season.”
