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Mountain DispatchBy Ski Flock Editorial Desk

This Adirondack Olympic Mountain Just Got Snow While the Leaves Still Peak

Whiteface Mountain saw its first snow of the season on Oct. 5, and ORDA expects to open for 2026-27 the week before Thanksgiving. Pass prices rise after Dec. 2.

Ski news: This Adirondack Olympic Mountain Just Got Snow While the Leaves Still Peak

Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, New York, picked up its first snowfall of the season on Monday, Oct. 5, while the Adirondacks were heading into peak fall foliage. The state's Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), which runs the mountain, now expects Whiteface to open for the 2026-27 ski season the week before Thanksgiving, weather and conditions permitting.

ORDA spokeswoman Darcy Norfolk told the Times Union that less than an inch fell on Monday, but the summit stayed frozen and snowcapped into Tuesday, when the temperature at the 4,867-foot weather station read 28 degrees. It warmed to 38 degrees on Wednesday. The timing is normal for Whiteface, where the first flakes usually show up in late September or early October.

What it means for opening day

A dusting on the summit does not open trails. Norfolk said the mountain needs anywhere from 12 inches to several feet of base before terrain can open, so the real work over the next six weeks falls to the snowmaking system and colder nights. Whiteface opened in November last season, and ORDA is planning on the same pattern this year.

New York has put hundreds of millions of dollars into its three state-run ski areas in recent years, with part of that money going to snowmaking at Whiteface, Gore Mountain in North Creek and Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills. Whiteface has the most lift-served vertical in the East at 3,430 feet, which is why consistent early-season coverage matters so much there. A thin start leaves the long top-to-bottom runs closed.

The pass deadline to watch

  • Price range: season passes for the three ORDA mountains run from $110 to $1,119, depending on age and how many blackout dates you accept.
  • Deadline: current prices hold through Dec. 2. ORDA says prices increase after that date.
  • Opening target: the week before Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 26 this year.

Read the full report from the Times Union. For terrain, lodging in Lake Placid and driving details, see the Whiteface Mountain encyclopedia page, then compare it with Gore and Belleayre before picking a pass tier.