DCSki Newsroom

DCSki looks back at three developments that have reshaped Mid-Atlantic skiing over the past 25 years: the rise of multi-resort passes and corporate ownership, major advances in snowmaking, and substantial investments in lifts, facilities, and year-round resort operations. Together, these changes have influenced where skiers go, how resorts manage unpredictable winters, and how mountains build businesses beyond the ski season.

Night skiing has long been a defining part of the Mid-Atlantic ski experience, allowing school groups, working adults, and budget-minded skiers to hit the slopes after dark. DCSki looks at why available night-skiing hours have gradually decreased in recent years, and why skiing under the lights remains an important regional tradition.

Sustained cold temperatures have allowed Mid-Atlantic ski areas to ramp up snowmaking and begin opening for the 2025–26 winter season, with several resorts launching operations in the first week of December. Additional terrain and activities are expected to come online soon as snowmaking continues across the region. Above, an aerial view provided to DCSki by a skiing pilot shows snowmaking underway at Maryland’s Wisp Resort on December 1.

An arctic air mass has brought ideal snowmaking conditions to the Mid-Atlantic, enabling resorts across the region to prepare for their winter season openings, with many planning to open in early December. Resorts like Seven Springs, Wisp, Snowshoe, and Timberline Mountain are leading the charge, while others are building their bases for upcoming announcements. Photo by Heidi Lews / Hidden Valley Resort.

Epic and Ikon Passes are both set to rise in price October 11 and 12, 2023, respectively.

The Mid-Atlantic ski season is already underway, and additional ski areas are scheduled to come on-line the weekend of December 4-5. DCSki presents a complete roundup of open — and soon-to-open — ski areas in this December 1, 2021 update. Above, Pennsylvania’s Seven Springs Resort has been laying down snow in preparation for a December 4 opening.

The past week saw the arrival of cold temperatures, and the dip in Mercury allowed ski areas to fire up their snowguns. Although lifts have already started running at several resorts, by the end of the December 16-17 weekend nearly every ski resort in the Mid-Atlantic will have kicked off its 2017-2018 winter season. DCSki has the latest opening information here.