Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Did you know that the best Schweitzer savings of the fall disappear in just eleven days? The resort's season pass sale ends on Sunday, November 15, and the same date brings a price increase for its multi-week youth programs. Schweitzer confirms that prices go up after November 15 for Funatics, Mountain Xplorers, and Freestyle Camp, so families who plan to enroll a young skier or rider this winter will want to sign up before that deadline. Three-pack lift tickets remain on sale at 249 dollars for three days during the 2026-27 season. Schweitzer's tentative opening day is Friday, November 27, twenty-three days from today and weather permitting.
On the mountain this morning, the resort's own Mountain Report shows clear skies and a temperature inversion, with the village at 33 degrees and the summit warmer at 37 degrees. The village wind was light at 2 miles per hour from the west-northwest after the report refreshed, while the summit wind was 6 miles per hour from the west. Every snow field still shows a dash, with no overnight, 24-hour, or 48-hour snowfall and no base depth reported, and the mountain remains closed for the season with 0 of 10 lifts spinning, 0 of 92 trails open, and 0 of 2,900 acres open. The village forecast calls for a high of 38 degrees and a low of 31 degrees today under sunny to mostly cloudy skies, a cloudy Thursday with a high of 31 degrees and winds near 13 miles per hour, and a windy Friday near 35 degrees. The daily message still recalls a fresh layer of snow on October 28.
In local news in depth, Sandpoint voters went to the polls yesterday to decide a proposed 1 percent local option sales tax. As the city explained before the election, the tax would have taken effect on January 1, 2027, and remained in place through December 31, 2036, if it reached the 60 percent approval required under Idaho law. It was written as a sales tax rather than a property tax, applying to taxable sales within Sandpoint and excluding the occupancy sales named in the ballot language. Seventy-five percent of the revenue was dedicated to city streets, while 25 percent was dedicated to sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, bicycle facilities, pathways, and trails. The proposal grew out of a pavement study that rated 21 percent of about 51 miles of city streets as poor or very poor, and a transportation plan that identified more than 100 million dollars in needs over twenty years.
A second major Sandpoint project continues to move forward. The City Council has approved agreements advancing the planned reconstruction of the city's wastewater treatment plant, a project with an estimated first phase of about 60 million dollars and a total cost that could reach about 130 million dollars. The city selected Stantec Consulting Services Inc. as the owner's representative, and the work now begins with project planning, engineering coordination, budgeting, and procurement. Together, the street question and the wastewater project explain much of what the Council will work on through the winter, beginning tonight.
Today's events begin on the water, where the Lake Pend Oreille Anglers Club Fall Fishing Derby opens today and runs through Sunday, November 8. Launch sites include Bayview, Farragut, Sandpoint, Hope, and Garfield Bay, with derby hours listed from noon to 7 p.m. This afternoon, My First Book Club meets from 3:15 to 4 p.m. at the Sandpoint Library for readers ages 6 to 8, in Karen's Room, with registration required. This evening, the Sandpoint City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, the day after the general election. Did you know that Sandpoint's osprey pair at Memorial Field has already migrated south? The nest stands empty this morning, although the live nest camera still offers its view of the lake shore.
Looking ahead, Thursday, November 5, brings Women's Work, a documentary celebrating America's female farmers, to the Panida Theater, followed by a discussion with local women farmers. On Friday, November 6, the opening reception for The Language of Color explores a variety of artistic styles and mediums. Saturday, November 7, is the biggest day of the week, with Warren Miller's Days Off at the Panida and Rally for the Riders II, the Snowboard Northwest fundraiser, from 7 to 9 p.m. at The St. Bernard. On Sunday, November 8, the Sandpoint Nordic Club holds its annual Winter Welcome season kickoff. Further ahead, the free State of Schweitzer presentation is set for Thursday, November 12, at the Heartwood Center, and the SARS Ski Swap follows on Saturday, November 14, at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, with gear check-in on November 13.
That is the rhythm of early November: clear and cold mornings, a village waiting for its first real storm, and a calendar that fills a little more each day as opening day approaches. When you come up to watch the weather change, to take in a ski film, or simply to enjoy a quiet fall evening above Lake Pend Oreille, we invite you to stay with us at The Village Overlook. Our hotel-style studio sits on the hill above Schweitzer's ski village, and it is a warm and welcoming place to begin a mountain morning and to end a Sandpoint day. We would love to welcome you for opening weekend, and for all of the winter days that follow.