North America’s Ski Season Has Seen a Significant Rebound. Will It Last?
North America’s ski season had its worst start in recent memory this year. But after a series of very wintry weather events, the season is decidedly back in action. From colder temperatures, to intense snowstorms, to much needed powder days, the mountains have seen it all from coast to coast.
However, having decidedly wintry conditions isn’t a universally positive thing, and a number of less-than-ideal factors have reared their ugly heads over the past few weeks.
In this piece, we’ll go through North America’s ski regions in order of which ones we’d recommend visiting most in the coming days, as well as what to expect when you get there.
#8: East Coast
First up on this list we have the East Coast, which has seen a remarkable recovery from its abnormally warm and rainy early season. A couple of fantastic storms over the past few weeks have really helped turn around conditions, with natural snowfall making its way down as far as the mid-Atlantic. In addition, consistently cold temperatures over the past few weeks have allowed most of these mountains, including in the mid-Atlantic, to pick up on snowmaking. The Quebec and northern New England regions have seen the biggest transformations, with plainly fantastic conditions that would make you completely forget how bad things were just three weeks ago.
This all being said, while conditions are much improved, the notoriously variable East Coast still faces some challenges. If you visit in the very near future, most of the mountains are currently undergoing a warm event with a mix of snow and rain. However, at the majority of the resorts in the Catskills and higher, this rain is expected to be followed by more snow at the end of the weekend and consistently below-freezing temperatures the week after that; as a result, we don’t expect it to alter the fundamentally positive trajectory of the Northeast’s ski season—at least in the near term.
Unfortunately, the mid-Atlantic’s short spell of good conditions will probably come to an end, as the upcoming weekend storms look to be too warm to preserve snow conditions that far south.
#7: Northern US Rockies
Next up, we have the Northern US Rockies region, which we’re encompassing as western Wyoming, southern Montana, and southern Idaho. Recent storm events have helped conditions improve significantly versus a few weeks back, but as a whole, this area has probably seen the least improvement of North America’s major ski regions.
In most places in Wyoming and southern Montana, conditions have broadly been enjoyable, and consistently cold temperatures have helped preserve snow really well. However, the snowpacks at most of the mountains in this region are anywhere between 15-45% below the median level, making for notably thinner conditions than usual. Montana’s Big Sky has especially suffered these past few weeks; not only is its snowpack sitting at the lower end of this region, but the resort has also fully used up their season’s worth of snowmaking water supply, meaning even some of their groomers have remained thin.
Unfortunately, most of the recent storm events seem to have passed over Sun Valley and other parts of southern Idaho. The resort is sitting on a less than 50” base, with less than half of its terrain open. At least the cold temperatures have been really good for snowmaking, which has helped Sun Valley, in particular, build out an artificial base and keep conditions in very good shape on the groomers.
If you plan to visit the Northern Rockies in the near future, expect packed powder conditions. While the snow on the ground has been well preserved, there isn’t too much fresh accumulation in the forecast, and guests should expect lots of hidden obstacles such as rocks and tree stumps off the marked trails. If you have a choice between the major resorts in these three states, our recommendation is Wyoming, where Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee will host the best conditions, at least until things warm up early next week.
#6: Lake Tahoe
Next up we move to the Lake Tahoe region, where several new feet of snow have really helped fill in the January base after a disappointing December. While not fully open, most resorts have now reached typical opening levels for their beginner through advanced terrain, and thanks to the recent snowfall, guests can expect full cover on all the open trails. The most recent storm event has been on the wet side, but thankfully, it’s cold enough that it’s mostly materializing as snow. While lower-elevation accumulation has been variable, the powder in upper-elevation resort areas these past few days has been really fun, if somewhat heavy.
Unfortunately, the substantial powder dumps over the past few weeks have come at a cost. The heavy snowfall on top of a very weak base layer created profoundly high risk avalanche conditions, and despite mitigation work from the patrol team, an in-bounds avalanche at Palisades Tahoe tragically resulted in one fatality earlier this month. Since then, much of the Lake Tahoe region’s terrain has remained at a heightened avalanche risk, and the resorts have been very conservative with opening their steepest runs.
If you visit Lake Tahoe in the near future, expect very solid snow conditions in upper elevations, although some lower-elevation areas may remain a bit variable due to a mix of snow and rain. All the groomers and some off-piste runs should be in good shape snow-wise, although guests may find limited expert terrain openings due to the risk of slides with the snow layers being the way they are—and should be prepared for the possibility of getting soaked in lower elevations. The region is set to see more precipitation at similar temperatures over the coming days, so expect more of the same conditions-wise through this weekend and early next week.
#5: Pacific Northwest
When taking a look at the major North American ski regions, it’s hard to find a place that’s seen a more seismic positive shift than in the Pacific Northwest.
Several resorts are back to typical snowpacks for the season, marking an incredible recovery from earlier this month. This is especially true for Oregon, which was facing near apocalyptic conditions just a few weeks ago—but has received, at some resorts, as much as 8 feet of snow so far in January.
However, some of these snow events came with insane storm conditions and winds—especially in the case of Oregon’s volcanoes—where certain mountains saw winds of up to 100 mph. So while groomers have been great, the off-piste has been a toss up between fantastic powder conditions and windswept packed snow. In addition, like with most storms at this time of year, the most recent accumulation events have been on the wet and heavy side, and lower mountain areas have seen some rain. This all being said, thin cover and obstacles are substantially less of an issue than a few weeks ago, even in the places most heavily affected by wind.
It is worth noting that some resorts are still recovering from the effects of these massive, windy storms. As a result several resort areas, most notably those in avalanche-prone terrain zones, have been closed these past few days. Expect this to remain the case as more heavy snow makes its way into the forecast for this weekend and beyond.
If you visit Oregon, Washington State, or British Columbia’s Whistler Blackcomb in the near future, expect plenty of snow on the groomers and many off-piste areas, although the heavier accumulation will be tough on one’s endurance. In addition, some off-piste areas do have some more exposed rocks and sharks than usual due to the wind during the storms, so you just have to be a bit careful about where you ski or ride. With slightly warmer temperatures expected this upcoming weekend, guests may encounter snow in mid and upper elevations but rain in lower-mountain areas. With minimal interruptions in snow accumulation and constant fluctuations between freezing and below-freezing temperatures in the next few days, travelers heading to the resorts should brace themselves for challenging access road conditions.
#4: Inland Northwest
Across both the US and Canada sides, North America’s Inland Northwest has seen a remarkable reversal of fortunes over the past few weeks. Trail conditions are in much better shape than earlier this year thanks to some really good recent storms, and following an extreme cold spell, temperatures have returned to much more moderate levels in recent days.
While the snowpack is still notably below average at most resorts in this region, the good news is that the major destinations in southern interior British Columbia, northern Idaho, and northwest Montana have managed to drop the rope on almost 100% of their terrain—this is in stark contrast to the beginning of January, when some of these resorts only had a fraction of their footprints open. The region is continuing to see consistent accumulation this week, and while some of the precipitation near resort bases has varied between snow and rain, it’s generally been very positive for the resorts conditions-wise.
If you visit the US or Canadian Inland Northwest over the next week or so, expect fairly normal conditions for the region. While there has been some rain in the lower elevations, it hasn’t been enough to put a damper on the base or fundamentally change the trajectory of the season—although guests should be prepared for the wet bases with waterproof clothes. Snow consistency will likely remain on the heavier side, but both the groomers and off-piste terrain zones should now have enough of a base to cover up the majority of serious obstacles.
#3: Canadian Rockies / Northern Interior British Columbia
Next up, we move further north and east to the Canadian Rockies and Northern Interior British Columbia, where weather has finally recovered to palatable temperatures after the same extreme cold spell that hit the Inland Northwest.
The region’s snowpack is still overall below average, but a couple of factors have made for really solid conditions these past few days. First off, while the incredibly cold temperatures made for chalky conditions when it was -30° out, they gave way to softer snow quality with the warmer weather. In addition, a light coating of snow at most mountains in this region has combined with the base layer to offer a primary powder surface.
If you visit the Canadian Rockies or resorts such as Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, or Sun Peaks in the next few weeks, expect softer conditions on the groomers thanks to the warmer weather. Off-piste, visitors can expect things to be more on the powdery side, although some runs will display noticeably thinner cover than usual due to the lower snow base. Temperatures will remain just around the freezing mark with modest bouts of snowfall over the next few days, so while the region likely won’t be seeing any crazy powder days in the next week or so, the experience on the slopes should remain universally positive.
#2: Colorado
Finally, we get into the two North American regions where conditions have been really good these past few days, and the first one that fits the bill is the state of Colorado.
After a somewhat below average December and early January, the state’s most popular mountains have just been pounded with accumulation over the past three weeks. Paired with the weak base layer, these conditions made for an incredibly unstable snowpack earlier this month, but most in-bounds areas have now been thoroughly avalanche patrolled. The region also saw an uncharacteristic cold spell a little over a week ago, but temperatures have returned to normal. As a result, the slopes this week are among the most enjoyable they’ve been all season.
For the most part, in-bounds conditions at the state’s ski resorts are excellent, with most northern and central Colorado mountains now either at or near typical snowpacks for this time of year. As with some other regions we’ve mentioned, this is a remarkable recovery from a few weeks ago, when some mountains were as much as 40% below their typical snowpacks. However, we do have to caveat that a few of the mountains in the southern part of the state still need a lot more snow to get back to normal levels, although about a foot of recent snow in these mountain ranges has helped.
If you visit Colorado for a ski vacation in the near future, expect high-quality conditions on the groomers. The off-piste has become somewhat tracked out since the biggest snow events about a week ago, but a bit of snow in recent days has made conditions somewhat powdery in the glades and bowls again. The state is expected to see a bit more snowfall through the end of the week, which should help preserve conditions over the weekend. However, temperatures are starting to warm up towards the end of the weekend, which could result in some freeze-thaw cycles occurring—so be sure to get the good conditions in while they last!
#1: Utah
And last but not least, we have our pick for the best North American ski region to hit this week: the state of Utah. The resorts in this state have seen anywhere from 6 to 10 feet of snow so far in January, making for snowpack totals that are now above median levels just about everywhere (the smaller Sundance and Brian Head resorts are the two exceptions). Essentially all trails that were closed due to lack of snow cover have now seen their ropes drop, with even Park City and Deer Valley, which were really struggling at the beginning of the month, getting almost all of their terrain open. In fact, such a huge amount of this snow came last week that it caused access road closures at some mountains for days. Now that travel has become much more realistic—and the snow hasn’t fully let up—this week has been one of the best so far this season.
However, we do have to note that some of Utah’s monumental snow totals this month have been uncharacteristically heavy for the region. The most recent bouts of accumulation have reverted back to lighter storms, but these factors, combined with a below-average start to the season, have created high-risk avalanche conditions in several areas. A substantial portion of off-piste and expert terrain has remained off limits over the last week, with some mountains taking longer to open this category of terrain than others. We do have to note that Solitude, which was the most glaring offender in this regard, finally opened most of its expert Honeycomb Canyon zone earlier this week.
If you visit Utah in the next week or so, expect a break in the new snow, although strong bases from these past few storms should help keep slopes in good shape. Both the groomers and open off-piste runs will offer sufficient cover and the fantastic conditions that Utah is typically known for, although as things start to warm up next week, conditions may become icy in the mornings before softening up in the afternoons. Depending on how things go after the warm-up next week, the snow may start to deteriorate, but if new snow arrives when things start to get cold again, the region should remain in good shape.
Final Thoughts
So while North America still isn’t seeing a perfect winter, a series of much-needed snow events in crucial regions have made for a seemingly miraculous recovery versus just a few weeks ago. Nearly everywhere on the continent has some flavor of good conditions if you know where to look, and those who visit certain areas may face lower-elevation rain, avalanche-prone off-piste slopes, or medium-term warm spells, the season is looking a lot more promising for the long-term versus at the beginning of January.
Ultimately, we’ll be keeping a pulse on what has been one of the biggest roller coasters of a winter so far to see if these favorable conditions hold up over time.
