Monday, November 9, 2026
This is the week when winter stops feeling distant at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. The resort's scheduled opening day is Friday, November 27, just 18 days from today, and the week ahead is stacked with the milestones that lead up to it. On Thursday evening, resort leadership hosts the annual State of Schweitzer gathering in Sandpoint. On Saturday, the Schweitzer Alpine Racing School holds its annual ski swap at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. On Sunday, the resort's season pass sale ends, and pass prices go up after November 15. The same deadline applies to the resort's multi-week youth programs, including Funatics, Mountain Xplorers, and Freestyle Camp, whose prices also rise after November 15. For anyone still deciding, the resort's 3-Pack remains a simple option at 249 dollars for three days of skiing or riding during the 2026-27 season.
The mountain itself starts the week clear and cold. Schweitzer's own Mountain Report this morning shows 34 degrees and clear skies in the village, with a light wind of 2 miles per hour from the west-northwest, and 28 degrees and clear skies at the summit, with wind at 12 miles per hour from the east. The report's snow fields are still all dashes, with no figure yet for the last 24 hours, the last 48 hours, the season total, or the base depth, and the resort remains closed for the season with 0 of 10 lifts open, 0 of 94 trails open, and 0 of 2,900 acres open. The village forecast calls for partly cloudy skies today with a high of 36 degrees, partly cloudy skies on Tuesday with a high of 37 degrees, and mostly sunny skies on Wednesday with a high of 47 degrees. The shared morning radar, built from the Spokane and Missoula radars, shows showers over Spokane, Post Falls, and Coeur d'Alene along Interstate 90, light returns near Sandpoint, and showers along Interstate 90 in western Montana, so drivers below the mountain may meet wet roads even under clear skies above.
For Monday travel, the Idaho 511 advisories list showed no advisories this morning for Interstate 90, U.S. Highway 95, or Schweitzer Mountain Road. Elsewhere in the panhandle, the Forest Service is conducting scheduled prescribed pile burns in Bottom Canyon, east of Hayden Lake near Coeur d'Alene, according to the Bonner County Daily Bee. The fall burns remove hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface and have brought smoky skies to parts of Kootenai County, a reminder that November holds two seasons at once in North Idaho.
Today in Sandpoint, the Catalyst: Women Entrepreneurs Driving Change gathering runs from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Sandpoint Organic Agricultural Center on North Boyer Road, with an expert panel, guided business planning, and breakout sessions. The Chamber Blood Drive runs from 9:15 to 11:00 a.m. on the bus at Sand Creek. At 3:00 p.m., the Veterans Club holds the inaugural meeting of its new Sandpoint chapter at the Sandpoint Elks Lodge in Ponderay, a free gathering for veterans and first responders with complimentary beverages and appetizers. Later, Magic: The Gathering casual play runs from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at GenTech Apps with free admission, Human Rights Trivia Night runs from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Idaho Pour Authority, and Cuban Salsa and Rueda meets from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Sandpoint Community Hall.
Wednesday is Veterans Day, and the Sandpoint Elks in Ponderay will honor local veterans with a special service at 11:00 a.m., with the public invited. Burgers with fries or tots will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., free for all veterans. That evening, the Panida Theater hosts the documentary Shared Waters, with doors at 5:00 p.m., the film at 6:00 p.m., and a question-and-answer session afterward, with tickets at 7 dollars. Tuesday brings the Bonner County Commissioners meeting at 9:00 a.m. and the Lake Pend Oreille School District board meeting at 5:00 p.m.
Thursday's State of Schweitzer runs from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Heartwood Center in Sandpoint, with doors at 4:00 p.m. The event is free, food and drinks will be available for purchase, and resort leadership will recap a summer of progress and share what lies ahead for winter. Friday is ski swap drop-off day, with gear check-in from noon to 7:00 p.m. at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. The SARS Ski Swap itself runs Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the fairgrounds, with admission at 5 dollars per person or 10 dollars per family, children under five free, and all proceeds benefiting the Schweitzer Alpine Racing School. The week closes Sunday with the pass sale deadline and Fiddlin' Red from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Barrel 33.
Did you know that from the top of Schweitzer you can see three mountain ranges, three states, and Canada on a clear day? Weeks like this one are made for watching that view turn toward winter, and The Village Overlook is a warm place to land while you do. The resort's fall lodging special offers 15 percent off stays of two or more nights booked by November 17. Whether your week holds a trivia night in town, a veterans tribute in Ponderay, an evening with resort leadership on Thursday, or a Saturday morning hunt for swap bargains, we invite you to make The Village Overlook your home base on the mountain as opening day draws near.