India, Feb. 6 -- Park City, Utah, one of the West's most beloved ski destinations, is having an unusually difficult season. For a state that prides itself on its snow, 2026 has started on an unexpectedly thin note.

By this point in winter, rooftops are typically glazed in white and aspen groves disappear beneath Utah's signature "champagne powder." This year, that familiar scene is missing. Snowfall has been scarce, leaving the mountain town looking more like late fall than peak ski season.

"I don't mean to sound dramatic, but this is the driest season we've ever had," McKensee Harris, a supervisor at a local ski rental shop in town, told Travel + Leisure.

After a handful of promising snow days of around Thanksgiving, December brought ...