In the West, one of the most active summertime areas can be found around Lake Tahoe, where a dozen ski and snowboard resorts host warm-weather concerts and festivals for city-dwellers looking for a way to chill out.

Spring break is upon us which, sadly, means the end is near. But it's still snowing and, with the right conditions, there should be plenty of powder to track up.

The ski industry already took a hit in the spring when the pandemic struck and many resorts had to close early, leading to $2 billion in losses and causing layoffs or furloughs of thousands of employees, according to the National Ski Areas Association, a trade group. The industry saw its lowest number of visits, 51 million, since the 2011 to 2012 season, the association said.

The winter 2020-21 snow season is quickly approaching. Although skiing and snowboarding are naturally socially distant activities, the social experiences that come with the snow community — such as striking up a conversation while congregating in line to wait for a lift, or grabbing a well-earned apres-ski drink after a long day on the mountain — are shaping up to look different this year. 

Many have stared amazed as rock climbers wind their way up seemingly vertical cliffs in the Western mountains, but few take the plunge. But now, the advent of via ferratas -- "iron roads" -- has brought the holds, cracks, caribeeners and safety of rock climbing to a wider audience.

Californians love the out-of-doors but COVID has put some reins on that. However, the mountains still beckon as one place that can be safe to go -- and give the sun-and-fun fix they crave.

Many of the usual summer activities -- mountain biking, ziplines, hiking, scenic lift rides -- will be in place in the West during the warm months. But the Covid-19 pandemic has forced resorts to tone down or fully eliminate offerings for the time being.

In these final days of winter (Spring Equinox is March 19) we wish you the luck of the Irish to receive the new snowfall coming.

The creator of the Ikon Pass will invest more than $200 million this summer to further upgrade some of the 15 resorts it owns for skiers and riders in the 2020-21 season.

As autumn arrives, the Northern Hemisphere tilts farther and farther away from the sun – a shortening of the day's light that curbs photosynthesis and produces the brilliant yellows and reds of aspen trees in the Mountain West.

Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows have been linked by ownership for a while, but soon they may be connected by a gondola.

Once summer settles in, the winter resorts around Lake Tahoe become magnets for city-dwellers aiming to beat the heat – and to have a bunch of fun doing it.

For those who, like us, love their snowsports year round, the good news is that spring 2019 has ended snowy in the northern hemisphere, and autumn 2019 has ended snowy in the southern hemisphere.

Memorial Day Weekend is the official kick-off to summer, but don't tell that to Mother Nature!

Warmer temperatures usually signal the end of the ski season, but for athletes on the U.S. Ski Team, winter never truly ends and warmer temperatures mean chasing snow around the globe. The U.S. Moguls Team held their first on-snow camp at official U.S. Ski & Snowboard training site Squaw Valley, May 2-15. With 682 inches of snow so far this season, Squaw provided an ideal return to snow with perfect spring skiing conditions, allowing the team to train 12 days during the two-week camp.

Pond skimming. Easter egg hunts. Crazy costume contests. Bands, BBQ and beer. And layers of sunscreen and lip balm.

The 2018-2019 ski and snowboard season isn't going out quietly, as healthy snowfall through April has prompted resorts across the SnoCountry map to extend operations into May – or beyond.

It looks to be a busy summer at resorts owned by Denver-based Alterra Mountain Co. as the firm begins to catch up on much-needed improvements both on and off the mountain.

Every time we checked the snow conditions at Tahoe resorts in February, more had fallen from the skies – and at record levels.

With almost non-stop snowstorms hitting California through February, at least one of the state’s resorts says that the month is now the snowiest ever in its history.