Happy Monday, mountain friends — and cover those tomato plants, because the season's first widespread frost is on the way. The KOTX radar lit up this morning with a band of rain sweeping across the Inland Northwest, echoes stretching from the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene area north toward Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry. Behind it comes a sharp, clear night: the National Weather Service is calling for widespread frost after 1 a.m., with lows around 28 degrees in Sandpoint and 27 up at Schweitzer. By mid-morning the clouds thin out and the sun takes over, with a high near 54 to start a crisp, golden week.
Up on the mountain it's a classic shoulder-season morning. Schweitzer sees sun and a high near 41 today, a starry night in the 20s, and steadily warming afternoons through the week — climbing from the low 40s into the low 50s by Friday. The lifts are quiet and the trails are green, but the countdown has officially begun: opening day is tentatively set for Friday, November 27. Did you know this is also a smart moment to lock in your winter plans? Season passes are on sale now, and the resort has a packed lineup for 2026-27: private night skiing on Basin Express terrain, a Learn to Ski in 3 package that earns graduates a spring Grad Pass, a six-week Women's Wednesdays program, the new Schwagon food truck, and a candy and ice cream shop at the Lakeview Lodge.
Here is your week ahead around the panhandle. Wednesday marks the season finale of the Farmers' Market at Sandpoint — one last Wednesday stroll through Farmin Park, 3 to 5:30 p.m., for the final harvest, baked goods, and crafts of the year. Thursday at 9 a.m., the Bonner County commissioners hold a public hearing on proposed land division code changes at the county administration building. Saturday morning brings civic business: City Hall hosts a 10 a.m. open house on the $130 million wastewater treatment plant bond headed to the November ballot. And election season is about to shift into high gear — early voting opens Monday, October 19, followed by a candidate forum on Tuesday the 20th, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Sandpoint High School auditorium, featuring the contested races for Legislative District 1 and the county commission.
With frost on the windshield and golden light spilling across the lake, this is secretly one of my favorite weeks of the year at The Village Overlook. Our hilltop studio above the ski village is made for October mornings — wake up, pull the curtains, and watch the weather roll over Lake Pend Oreille while your coffee brews. If you've been dreaming of a fall getaway with a front-row seat to the changing season, come spend a few nights with us before the snow flies.
One more thing to watch this winter: the 2026-27 season will be president Tom Chasse's last at the helm after twenty years, and the Schweitzer Creek Village project — a new access road and day lot — is rising for 2027-28. Change is in the autumn air, in the very best way. Here's to a week of bright days, brisk nights, and that first good whiff of woodsmoke. See you on the hill.