Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Today is the last day to share Schweitzer at half price. Through today, Tuesday, November 3, Schweitzer pass holders can redeem buddy tickets at up to 50 percent off, double the usual 25 percent Friends and Family discount, by logging into their profile on the Ikon Pass website. The offer covers Unlimited and Sunday-Friday passes, including Junior, Young Adult and College pass holders, though it is not available on Child, 80-plus or Corporate passes, and Sunday-Friday buddy tickets are not valid on Saturdays. Every ticket claimed today is a head start on a season that begins in just 24 days, when Schweitzer plans to open on Friday, November 27, conditions permitting.
The next deadline is already circled on the resort calendar. The Schweitzer season pass sale ends Sunday, November 15, and prices go up after that date, while limited quantities of Schweitzer 3-Packs remain available from 249 dollars until sold out. The same date matters for families, too: prices for the multi-week youth programs, Funatics, Mountain Xplorers and Freestyle Camp, also rise after November 15. Did you know this winter brings a new Learn to Ski in 3 program, where first-time skiers who finish earn a free Schweitzer Grad Pass for unlimited skiing from March through closing day? November is when smart skiers do their homework, and this year the homework has due dates.
On the mountain this morning, the resort's own Mountain Report shows a clear, cold start. The village reads 33 degrees and clear with the wind barely registering from the west-northwest, while the summit reads 30 degrees and clear with an east wind at 16 miles per hour; both list a high of 35 and a low of 34. The village forecast turns cloudy today at 39 and 37, sunny to mostly cloudy Wednesday at 38 and 31, then cloudy Thursday at 31 and 30 with the wind picking up. The snow report fields still show dashes across the board, with 0 of 10 lifts, 0 of 92 trails and 0 of 2,900 acres open and the resort closed for the season. The resort's daily message still recalls arriving on October 28 to a fresh layer of snow on the slopes, while noting there is a ways to go before anything is skiable.
It is Tuesday, so a word about the roads. The Idaho Transportation Department warns that the westbound I-90 on-ramp at Northwest Boulevard in Coeur d'Alene closes tonight at 8 p.m. for 24 hours, and drivers will need an alternate route onto the interstate. Westbound I-90 traffic has shifted to the south side of the freeway and is expected to stay there for a full year, and westbound lanes between US-95 and Northwest Boulevard remain reduced to a single lane through the first week of November. The good news: Huetter Road beneath I-90 reopened on October 30, the Atlas Road bridge demolition has been postponed, and both roads are open. Variable speed limits are in force through the work zone, so build in extra time and check Idaho 511 before any drive in.
Today is also Election Day, and Bonner County's ballot is a full one. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. at the Elections Office in the County Administration building at 1500 Highway 2 in Sandpoint. Sandpoint voters decide the proposed 1 percent local option sales tax for streets and transportation: if approved, it would run from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2036, send 75 percent of proceeds to street work and 25 percent to sidewalks, crossings, bike facilities and pathways, and it needs at least 60 percent approval to pass. A similar measure in 2024 won a majority but fell short of the 60 percent bar. Statewide ballots also carry Proposition 1, House Joint Resolutions 4 and 6 and a non-binding advisory question, while Dover, two fire districts and the Coolin Sewer District have measures of their own.
After the polls, Sandpoint rewards its voters tonight. Donkey Basketball takes over the Sandpoint High School gym from 6:30 to 10 p.m., with players competing on donkeys to benefit SHS Mentors, the upperclassmen leadership course building a kind, welcoming school community; tickets are 15 dollars for adults and students in grades 7 through 12, 7 dollars for grades K through 6, and free for seniors 65 and up and children not yet in kindergarten. Earlier, Carson Rhodes plays pop tunes inspired by Billy Joel and Elton John on the grand piano at Pend d'Oreille Winery on Cedar Street from 5 to 7 p.m., and karaoke with KJ Michael Robinson starts at 9 p.m. at Roxy's on Pine Street. Looking ahead, Warren Miller's Days Off fills the Panida on Saturday, and the State of Schweitzer evening follows on November 12.
Vote, catch a donkey game, and keep one eye on that summit: that is a proper November Tuesday in the panhandle. When you come up to watch the mountain turn white, The Village Overlook is waiting on the hill above Schweitzer's ski village, a warm hotel-style studio that makes an easy home base for opening weekend and every powder day after. The countdown stands at 24 days, passes are on sale until November 15, and buddy tickets are half price only until tonight, so make today count.