2005-06 Ski Season Progress Report as of December 31, 2005
There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, but those areas are now below average. The later storms dumped on previously dry Utah, which is now above average. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week has been stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. The far Southwest continues to miss out, with some areas restricted and with less than half normal snow.
With more areas posting season snowfall since 2003-04, I am no longer tracking the less reliable numbers from RSN, except in regions where no nearby area has up-to-date information. I am now including season snowfall from some areas italicized from SnoCountry.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm last weekend dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The storms this week have been stronger (3+ feet so far), with the largest hitting now on New Year's Eve. Snow levels have fluctuated, but have been as high as 8,000 feet often enough that the lower Tahoe areas are still having some problems. High elevation base depths are now as much 8+ feet and growing. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
111
84%
50%
Kirkwood
161
114%
100%
Mammoth
123
110%
100%
Southern Cal
1
4%
0-30%
Arizona Snowbowl
10
15%
0%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas have 3-6 foot bases for the holidays. Surface conditions are variable due to recent low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. This week's storms have finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 3 feet of snow, but lower conditions are not great. Mt. Bachelor has the deepest 88-96 inch base as it had had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
115
75%
55%
Crystal Mt.
145
109%
90%
Stevens Pass
146
86%
100%
Mt. Bachelor
156
114%
100%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in December. Reported percents open: Sunshine 94%, Big White 90%, Sun Peaks 85%, Red Mt. 60% and Silver Star 85%, Kicking Horse 61%, Panorama 41%, Kimberley 47%. Skiers report that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama are sketchy after the dry December. Base depths are around 3 feet at most areas.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
42
65%
60%
Fernie
123
86%
95%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas have had 3-5 feet of snow since then.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
113
95%
85%
Bridger Bowl
125
127%
100%
Big Sky
140
158%
100%
Grand Targhee
244
154%
100%
Jackson Hole
172
128%
100%
Sun Valley
130
194%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas are in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week. Brian Head is south of the storm tracks and still very limited.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
198
114%
100%
Snowbird
173
116%
100%
Brighton
192
136%
100%
Park City
113
118%
100%
Snowbasin
131
123%
100%
Brian Head
36
36%
25%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone is close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
133
118%
95%
Breckenridge
152
163%
93%
Copper Mt.
164
187%
100%
Keystone
135
223%
100%
Loveland
156
148%
95%
Steamboat
203
162%
100%
Vail
192
158%
99%
Winter Park
178
144%
85%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen is well above average and Crested Butte slightly above average from the northern storms, but everything farther south has been much drier than normal. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and in some southern areas it has been so dry as to consider the possibility that some expert terrain will never get covered this season, as in 1977 and 1990.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
130
172%
90%
Crested Butte
81
109%
75%
Durango
38
46%
20%
Telluride
53
69%
70%
Wolf Creek
72
65%
100%
Taos
28
32%
25%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions wee above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Last week's good conditions have been degraded by this week's rain. Percents open: Killington 75%, Okemo 79%, Stratton 81%, Sugarloaf 60%, Sunday River 57%, Hunter 93%, Mt. St. Anne 98%, Tremblant 55%, Snowshoe 100%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
104
99%
93%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
68
82%
69%
Sugarbush
81
89%
79%
Cannon Mt.
56
133%
85%
The End of an Era...We are Shutting Down the Messageboard
The messageboard is now in read-only mode and no new posts or topics can be created. We will leave the messageboard up for historical purposes, but you will not be able to make new posts or comment on existing ones.
We have started a Discord server and hope that you all will join us on there. Technology has changed over the years and maintaining the messageboard has become somewhat of a pain in the butt and Discord offers many features for users, the main one being a very polished mobile app.
We really hope you all will join us on Discord and think you will like the platform. Use the invite link below to join.
https://discord.gg/skisoutheast
The messageboard is now in read-only mode and no new posts or topics can be created. We will leave the messageboard up for historical purposes, but you will not be able to make new posts or comment on existing ones.
We have started a Discord server and hope that you all will join us on there. Technology has changed over the years and maintaining the messageboard has become somewhat of a pain in the butt and Discord offers many features for users, the main one being a very polished mobile app.
We really hope you all will join us on Discord and think you will like the platform. Use the invite link below to join.
https://discord.gg/skisoutheast
-
admin
Update
2005-06 Ski Season Progress Report as of January 6, 2006
There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, but those areas are now below average. The later storms dumped on previously dry Utah, which is now above average. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week was stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. A final intense storm hit much of the West over New Year's weekend, with a break in weather the past few days. The far Southwest continues lag behind, with some areas restricted on less than half normal snow.
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths are now as much as 12+ feet, but conditions are still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 52, Northstar 24, Sierra-at-Tahoe 51.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
151
100%
56%
Kirkwood
218
136%
100%
Mammoth
238
189%
100%
Southern Cal
7
23%
0-40%
Arizona Snowbowl
10
13%
0%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations are variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood have deep 7-10 foot bases as they have had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas. Aftwer New Year's storms Washington areas are close to full operation with 4-7 foot bases.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 7.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
162
96%
85%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Conditions have improved some with 1-4 feet of snow since Christmas. Reported percents open: Sunshine 94%, Big White 92%, Sun Peaks 95%, Red Mt. 100% and Silver Star 94%, Kicking Horse 70%, Panorama 67%, Kimberley 68%. Skiers report that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama are sketchy after the mostly dry December. Base depths are 3-5 feet at most areas.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
49
70%
80%
Fernie
143
89%
95%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas have had 5-10 feet of snow since then.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 12, Big Sky 18.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
129
98%
90%
Grand Targhee
261
145%
100%
Jackson Hole
212
140%
100%
Sun Valley
157
208%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. Brian Head is south of most storm tracks and still very limited.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
243
126%
100%
Snowbird
212
129%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
239
155%
100%
Park City
157
147%
100%
Snowbasin
169
142%
100%
Brian Head
47
42%
28%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. 1-2 feet more snow the first week of January.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
148
119%
99%
Breckenridge
166
160%
100%
Copper Mt.
185
191%
100%
Keystone
148
216%
100%
Loveland
174
148%
95%
Steamboat
221
159%
100%
Vail
213
156%
99%
Winter Park
193
141%
85%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen is well above average and Crested Butte slightly above average from the northern storms, but everything farther south has been much drier than normal. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern areas will need help to reach full operation by February. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 14.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
142
171%
96%
Crested Butte
87
105%
85%
Durango
49
55%
26%
Wolf Creek
82
66%
100%
Taos
33
34%
25%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions wee above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Since then conditions have degraded some with a mix of rain and snow. Percents open: Killington 64%, Okemo 85%, Stratton 89%, Sugarloaf 57%, Sunday River 81%, Hunter 96%, Mt. St. Anne 97%, Tremblant 56%, Snowshoe 91%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 10, Okemo 5, Sunday River 7, Mt. Ste. Anne 7, Snowshoe 3.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
108
90%
85%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
72
79%
75%
Sugarbush
84
84%
86%
Cannon Mt.
61
126%
91%
2005-06 Ski Season Progress Report as of January 6, 2006
There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, but those areas are now below average. The later storms dumped on previously dry Utah, which is now above average. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week was stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. A final intense storm hit much of the West over New Year's weekend, with a break in weather the past few days. The far Southwest continues lag behind, with some areas restricted on less than half normal snow.
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths are now as much as 12+ feet, but conditions are still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 52, Northstar 24, Sierra-at-Tahoe 51.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
151
100%
56%
Kirkwood
218
136%
100%
Mammoth
238
189%
100%
Southern Cal
7
23%
0-40%
Arizona Snowbowl
10
13%
0%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations are variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood have deep 7-10 foot bases as they have had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas. Aftwer New Year's storms Washington areas are close to full operation with 4-7 foot bases.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 7.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
162
96%
85%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Conditions have improved some with 1-4 feet of snow since Christmas. Reported percents open: Sunshine 94%, Big White 92%, Sun Peaks 95%, Red Mt. 100% and Silver Star 94%, Kicking Horse 70%, Panorama 67%, Kimberley 68%. Skiers report that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama are sketchy after the mostly dry December. Base depths are 3-5 feet at most areas.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
49
70%
80%
Fernie
143
89%
95%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas have had 5-10 feet of snow since then.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 12, Big Sky 18.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
129
98%
90%
Grand Targhee
261
145%
100%
Jackson Hole
212
140%
100%
Sun Valley
157
208%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. Brian Head is south of most storm tracks and still very limited.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
243
126%
100%
Snowbird
212
129%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
239
155%
100%
Park City
157
147%
100%
Snowbasin
169
142%
100%
Brian Head
47
42%
28%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. 1-2 feet more snow the first week of January.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
148
119%
99%
Breckenridge
166
160%
100%
Copper Mt.
185
191%
100%
Keystone
148
216%
100%
Loveland
174
148%
95%
Steamboat
221
159%
100%
Vail
213
156%
99%
Winter Park
193
141%
85%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen is well above average and Crested Butte slightly above average from the northern storms, but everything farther south has been much drier than normal. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern areas will need help to reach full operation by February. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 14.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
142
171%
96%
Crested Butte
87
105%
85%
Durango
49
55%
26%
Wolf Creek
82
66%
100%
Taos
33
34%
25%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions wee above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Since then conditions have degraded some with a mix of rain and snow. Percents open: Killington 64%, Okemo 85%, Stratton 89%, Sugarloaf 57%, Sunday River 81%, Hunter 96%, Mt. St. Anne 97%, Tremblant 56%, Snowshoe 91%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 10, Okemo 5, Sunday River 7, Mt. Ste. Anne 7, Snowshoe 3.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
108
90%
85%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
72
79%
75%
Sugarbush
84
84%
86%
Cannon Mt.
61
126%
91%
-
admin
2005-06 Ski Season Progress Report as of January 16, 2006
There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, but those areas are now below average. The later storms dumped on previously dry Utah, which is now above average. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week was stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. A final intense storm hit much of the West over New Year's weekend, with a break in weather for the next few days. Since then the Pacific Northwest has been continuously stormy, with considerable snowfalls in most other regions. The far Southwest continues to lag behind, with some areas restricted on less than half normal snow.
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths reached 12+ feet, but holiday conditions were still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. Last week's 2+ foot storm was colder and has improved the lower elevations. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 72, Northstar 41, Sierra-at-Tahoe 71.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
179
99%
90%
Kirkwood
250
130%
100%
Mammoth
266
178%
100%
Southern Cal
8
20%
5-50%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations were variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas through the holidays. Since New Year's Whistler and the Washington areas have been pounded with up to 10 feet of snow and now have outstanding conditions.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 40.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
236
121%
100%
Stevens Pass
253
113%
100%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Skiers reported that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama were sketchy through the holidays. Conditions have improved in January with at least 2 feet of snow throughout the region in the past week and more like 6 feet in snow stashes like Fernie.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
69
87%
95%
Fernie
219
117%
100%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas had 3-5 feet more through the holidays, and another 3-7 feet so far in January. So far this is the best season in the region since the records of 1996-97.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 38, Big Sky 41.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
209
137%
100%
Grand Targhee
302
141%
100%
Jackson Hole
245
137%
100%
Sun Valley
175
196%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. Last weekend's storm dropped another 3 feet. Brian Head has been south of most storm tracks but got 16 inches last weekend.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
282
127%
100%
Snowbird
248
130%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
272
155%
100%
Park City
188
150%
100%
Snowbasin
196
140%
100%
Brian Head
63
48%
75%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. January snowfall has continued steadily above average, 2-4 feet so far.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
166
115%
100%
Breckenridge
187
155%
100%
Copper Mt.
207
185%
100%
Keystone
162
199%
100%
Loveland
189
139%
95%
Steamboat
252
155%
100%
Vail
236
149%
99%
Winter Park
206
130%
90%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen is well above average and Crested Butte about average from the northern storms, but everything farther south has been much drier than normal. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern areas will need help to reach full operation by February. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 20.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
165
173%
96%
Crested Butte
99
103%
95%
Durango
57
56%
75%
Wolf Creek
89
61%
100%
Taos
35
31%
28%
Arizona Snowbowl
12
13%
0%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions well above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Conditions degraded some Chrismas week with a mix of rain and snow but improved during a colder first week of January. Unfortunately the past week has seen more rain than snow and trail counts have declined. Percents open: Killington 58%, Okemo 87%, Stratton 84%, Sugarloaf 63%, Sunday River 69%, Hunter 85%, Mt. St. Anne 58%, Tremblant 56%, Snowshoe 100%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 19, Okemo 12, Sunday River 14, Mt. Ste. Anne 11, Snowshoe 13.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
121
84%
47%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
83
79%
39%
Sugarbush
95
82%
58%
Cannon Mt.
75
127%
70%
There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, but those areas are now below average. The later storms dumped on previously dry Utah, which is now above average. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week was stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. A final intense storm hit much of the West over New Year's weekend, with a break in weather for the next few days. Since then the Pacific Northwest has been continuously stormy, with considerable snowfalls in most other regions. The far Southwest continues to lag behind, with some areas restricted on less than half normal snow.
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths reached 12+ feet, but holiday conditions were still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. Last week's 2+ foot storm was colder and has improved the lower elevations. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 72, Northstar 41, Sierra-at-Tahoe 71.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
179
99%
90%
Kirkwood
250
130%
100%
Mammoth
266
178%
100%
Southern Cal
8
20%
5-50%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations were variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas through the holidays. Since New Year's Whistler and the Washington areas have been pounded with up to 10 feet of snow and now have outstanding conditions.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 40.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
236
121%
100%
Stevens Pass
253
113%
100%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Skiers reported that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama were sketchy through the holidays. Conditions have improved in January with at least 2 feet of snow throughout the region in the past week and more like 6 feet in snow stashes like Fernie.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
69
87%
95%
Fernie
219
117%
100%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas had 3-5 feet more through the holidays, and another 3-7 feet so far in January. So far this is the best season in the region since the records of 1996-97.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 38, Big Sky 41.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
209
137%
100%
Grand Targhee
302
141%
100%
Jackson Hole
245
137%
100%
Sun Valley
175
196%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. Last weekend's storm dropped another 3 feet. Brian Head has been south of most storm tracks but got 16 inches last weekend.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
282
127%
100%
Snowbird
248
130%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
272
155%
100%
Park City
188
150%
100%
Snowbasin
196
140%
100%
Brian Head
63
48%
75%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. January snowfall has continued steadily above average, 2-4 feet so far.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
166
115%
100%
Breckenridge
187
155%
100%
Copper Mt.
207
185%
100%
Keystone
162
199%
100%
Loveland
189
139%
95%
Steamboat
252
155%
100%
Vail
236
149%
99%
Winter Park
206
130%
90%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen is well above average and Crested Butte about average from the northern storms, but everything farther south has been much drier than normal. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern areas will need help to reach full operation by February. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 20.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
165
173%
96%
Crested Butte
99
103%
95%
Durango
57
56%
75%
Wolf Creek
89
61%
100%
Taos
35
31%
28%
Arizona Snowbowl
12
13%
0%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions well above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Conditions degraded some Chrismas week with a mix of rain and snow but improved during a colder first week of January. Unfortunately the past week has seen more rain than snow and trail counts have declined. Percents open: Killington 58%, Okemo 87%, Stratton 84%, Sugarloaf 63%, Sunday River 69%, Hunter 85%, Mt. St. Anne 58%, Tremblant 56%, Snowshoe 100%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 19, Okemo 12, Sunday River 14, Mt. Ste. Anne 11, Snowshoe 13.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
121
84%
47%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
83
79%
39%
Sugarbush
95
82%
58%
Cannon Mt.
75
127%
70%
-
admin
2005-06 Ski Season Progress Report as of January 31, 2006
There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, while the later storms dumped on previously dry Utah. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week was stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. A final intense storm hit much of the West over New Year's weekend, with a break in weather for the next few days. For the rest of January the Pacific Northwest has been continuously stormy, with considerable snowfalls in most other regions. The far Southwest continues to lag behind, with some areas restricted on less than half normal snow.
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths reached 12+ feet, but holiday conditions were still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. Mid-January storms of 3-5 feet were colder and improved the lower elevations, along with another 2-3 feet in late January. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 95, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 95.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
240
106%
100%
Kirkwood
288
130%
100%
Mammoth
297
160%
100%
Southern Cal
8
15%
5-80%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations were variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas through the holidays. In January Whistler and the Washington areas were pounded with up to 15 feet of snow and now have outstanding conditions.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 74.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
299
128%
100%
Stevens Pass
368
134%
100%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Skiers reported that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama were sketchy through the holidays. Conditions dramatically improved in January with at least 4 feet of snow in the Banff region and as much as 10 feet in some Kootenay areas.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
83
87%
95%
Fernie
247
109%
100%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas had 3-5 feet more through the holidays, and another 6-11 feet in January. So far this is the best season in the region since the records of 1996-97.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 56, Big Sky 78.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
260
141%
100%
Grand Targhee
353
133%
100%
Jackson Hole
310
140%
100%
Sun Valley
198
180%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. A mid-January storm dropped another 3 feet in the Wasatch, with 3-5 feet later in the month. Brian Head was in the southwest drought through early January but reached full operation with 5 feet later in the month.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
342
127%
100%
Snowbird
305
132%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
334
160%
100%
Park City/The Canyons
238
155%
100%
Snowbasin
232
136%
100%
Brian Head
103
64%
100%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. Steady January snowfall totalling 5-8 feet has continued the strong season.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
205
118%
100%
Breckenridge
223
152%
100%
Copper Mt.
244
181%
100%
Keystone
194
192%
100%
Loveland
215
131%
100%
Steamboat
302
152%
100%
Vail
261
137%
99%
Winter Park
246
129%
90%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen and Crested Butte have been well above average from the northern storms, but everything farther south was much drier than normal through the holidays. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern Colorado areas are barely in full operation after an average January. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 63.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
200
175%
100%
Crested Butte
179
153%
100%
Durango
80
66%
100%
Wolf Creek
133
75%
100%
Taos
54
40%
50%
Arizona Snowbowl
20
17%
0%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions well above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Conditions degraded some Chrismas week with a mix of rain and snow but improved during a colder first week of January. Mid-January saw more rain than snow and trail counts declined, but there has been some improvement in both temperatures and natural snow later in the month. Percents open: Killington 73%, Okemo 87%, Stratton 89%, Sugarloaf 60%, Sunday River 85%, Hunter 80%, Mt. St. Anne 92%, Tremblant 96%, Snowshoe 98%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 38, Okemo 24, Sunday River 32, Mt. Ste. Anne 37, Snowshoe 29.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
143
79%
91%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
103
82%
100%
Sugarbush
111
84%
94%
Cannon Mt.
90
121%
75%
There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, while the later storms dumped on previously dry Utah. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week was stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. A final intense storm hit much of the West over New Year's weekend, with a break in weather for the next few days. For the rest of January the Pacific Northwest has been continuously stormy, with considerable snowfalls in most other regions. The far Southwest continues to lag behind, with some areas restricted on less than half normal snow.
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths reached 12+ feet, but holiday conditions were still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. Mid-January storms of 3-5 feet were colder and improved the lower elevations, along with another 2-3 feet in late January. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 95, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 95.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
240
106%
100%
Kirkwood
288
130%
100%
Mammoth
297
160%
100%
Southern Cal
8
15%
5-80%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations were variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas through the holidays. In January Whistler and the Washington areas were pounded with up to 15 feet of snow and now have outstanding conditions.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 74.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
299
128%
100%
Stevens Pass
368
134%
100%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Skiers reported that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama were sketchy through the holidays. Conditions dramatically improved in January with at least 4 feet of snow in the Banff region and as much as 10 feet in some Kootenay areas.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
83
87%
95%
Fernie
247
109%
100%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas had 3-5 feet more through the holidays, and another 6-11 feet in January. So far this is the best season in the region since the records of 1996-97.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 56, Big Sky 78.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
260
141%
100%
Grand Targhee
353
133%
100%
Jackson Hole
310
140%
100%
Sun Valley
198
180%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. A mid-January storm dropped another 3 feet in the Wasatch, with 3-5 feet later in the month. Brian Head was in the southwest drought through early January but reached full operation with 5 feet later in the month.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
342
127%
100%
Snowbird
305
132%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
334
160%
100%
Park City/The Canyons
238
155%
100%
Snowbasin
232
136%
100%
Brian Head
103
64%
100%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. Steady January snowfall totalling 5-8 feet has continued the strong season.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
205
118%
100%
Breckenridge
223
152%
100%
Copper Mt.
244
181%
100%
Keystone
194
192%
100%
Loveland
215
131%
100%
Steamboat
302
152%
100%
Vail
261
137%
99%
Winter Park
246
129%
90%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen and Crested Butte have been well above average from the northern storms, but everything farther south was much drier than normal through the holidays. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern Colorado areas are barely in full operation after an average January. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 63.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
200
175%
100%
Crested Butte
179
153%
100%
Durango
80
66%
100%
Wolf Creek
133
75%
100%
Taos
54
40%
50%
Arizona Snowbowl
20
17%
0%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions well above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Conditions degraded some Chrismas week with a mix of rain and snow but improved during a colder first week of January. Mid-January saw more rain than snow and trail counts declined, but there has been some improvement in both temperatures and natural snow later in the month. Percents open: Killington 73%, Okemo 87%, Stratton 89%, Sugarloaf 60%, Sunday River 85%, Hunter 80%, Mt. St. Anne 92%, Tremblant 96%, Snowshoe 98%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 38, Okemo 24, Sunday River 32, Mt. Ste. Anne 37, Snowshoe 29.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
143
79%
91%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
103
82%
100%
Sugarbush
111
84%
94%
Cannon Mt.
90
121%
75%
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2005-06 Ski Season Progress Report as of February 7, 2006
There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, while the later storms dumped on previously dry Utah. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week was stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. A final intense storm hit much of the West over New Year's weekend, with a break in weather for the next few days. For the past month the Pacific Northwest has been continuously stormy, with considerable snowfalls in most other regions. The far Southwest continues to lag behind, with some areas restricted on less than half normal snow. Most of the West is expected to be clear and sunny for at least the next week.
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths reached 12+ feet, but holiday conditions were still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. Mid-January storms of 3-5 feet were colder and improved the lower elevations, along with another 2-3 feet in late January. Last week's storms barely reached Tahoe with a few inches, and nothing farther south. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 95, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 95.
RSN February Snow: Heavenly 3, Northstar 7, Sierra-at-Tahoe 4.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
244
98%
100%
Kirkwood
288
108%
100%
Mammoth
297
145%
100%
Southern Cal
8
13%
5-80%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations were variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas through the holidays. In January Whistler and the Washington areas were pounded with up to 15 feet of snow, and another 2 feet last week.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 74.
RSN February Snow: Mt Bachelor 7.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
325
130%
100%
Stevens Pass
394
134%
100%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Skiers reported that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama were sketchy through the holidays. Conditions dramatically improved in January with at least 4 feet of snow in the Banff region and as much as 10 feet in some Kootenay areas. Most areas had 1-2 feet last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
120
120%
100%
Kicking Horse
211
131%
100%
Fernie
254
106%
100%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas had 3-5 feet more through the holidays, and another 6-11 feet in January. Average snow of another foot last week throughout the region. So far this is the best season in the region since the records of 1996-97.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 56, Big Sky 78.
RSN February Snow: Bridger 7, Big Sky 19.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
274
139%
100%
Grand Targhee
365
127%
100%
Jackson Hole
337
142%
100%
Sun Valley
204
173%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. A mid-January storm dropped another 3 feet in the Wasatch, with 3-5 feet later in the month and average 2 feet last week. Brian Head was in the southwest drought through early January but reached full operation with 5 feet later in the month.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
373
128%
100%
Snowbird
336
134%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
361
161%
100%
Park City/The Canyons
255
154%
100%
Snowbasin
248
134%
100%
Brian Head
110
62%
100%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. Steady January snowfall totalling 5-8 feet has continued the strong season, along with another 2-3 feet last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
227
121%
100%
Breckenridge
261
165%
100%
Copper Mt.
277
190%
100%
Keystone
212
192%
100%
Loveland
251
141%
100%
Steamboat
327
154%
100%
Vail
299
146%
99%
Winter Park
274
134%
90%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen and Crested Butte have been well above average from the northern storms, but everything farther south was much drier than normal through the holidays. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern Colorado areas barely reached full operation after an average January. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 63.
RSN February Snow: Telluride 18.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
214
171%
100%
Crested Butte
183
143%
100%
Durango
88
66%
100%
Wolf Creek
135
70%
100%
Taos
58
40%
60%
Arizona Snowbowl
20
16%
0%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions well above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Conditions degraded from rain Christmas week, mid-January and last week, while being restored from snow and cold in early and late January. Forecasters expect eastern conditions to improve in February. Percents open: Killington 59%, Okemo 89%, Stratton 87%, Sugarloaf 50%, Sunday River 75%, Hunter 74%, Mt. St. Anne 100%, Tremblant 70%, Snowshoe 100%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 38, Okemo 24, Sunday River 32, Mt. Ste. Anne 37, Snowshoe 29.
RSN February Snow: Stratton 4, Okemo 2, Sunday River 4, Mt. Ste. Anne 25, Snowshoe 5.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
158
80%
95%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
108
80%
100%
Sugarbush
119
80%
95%
Cannon Mt.
91
111%
56%
There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, while the later storms dumped on previously dry Utah. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week was stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. A final intense storm hit much of the West over New Year's weekend, with a break in weather for the next few days. For the past month the Pacific Northwest has been continuously stormy, with considerable snowfalls in most other regions. The far Southwest continues to lag behind, with some areas restricted on less than half normal snow. Most of the West is expected to be clear and sunny for at least the next week.
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths reached 12+ feet, but holiday conditions were still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. Mid-January storms of 3-5 feet were colder and improved the lower elevations, along with another 2-3 feet in late January. Last week's storms barely reached Tahoe with a few inches, and nothing farther south. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 95, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 95.
RSN February Snow: Heavenly 3, Northstar 7, Sierra-at-Tahoe 4.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
244
98%
100%
Kirkwood
288
108%
100%
Mammoth
297
145%
100%
Southern Cal
8
13%
5-80%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations were variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas through the holidays. In January Whistler and the Washington areas were pounded with up to 15 feet of snow, and another 2 feet last week.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 74.
RSN February Snow: Mt Bachelor 7.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
325
130%
100%
Stevens Pass
394
134%
100%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Skiers reported that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama were sketchy through the holidays. Conditions dramatically improved in January with at least 4 feet of snow in the Banff region and as much as 10 feet in some Kootenay areas. Most areas had 1-2 feet last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
120
120%
100%
Kicking Horse
211
131%
100%
Fernie
254
106%
100%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas had 3-5 feet more through the holidays, and another 6-11 feet in January. Average snow of another foot last week throughout the region. So far this is the best season in the region since the records of 1996-97.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 56, Big Sky 78.
RSN February Snow: Bridger 7, Big Sky 19.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
274
139%
100%
Grand Targhee
365
127%
100%
Jackson Hole
337
142%
100%
Sun Valley
204
173%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. A mid-January storm dropped another 3 feet in the Wasatch, with 3-5 feet later in the month and average 2 feet last week. Brian Head was in the southwest drought through early January but reached full operation with 5 feet later in the month.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
373
128%
100%
Snowbird
336
134%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
361
161%
100%
Park City/The Canyons
255
154%
100%
Snowbasin
248
134%
100%
Brian Head
110
62%
100%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. Steady January snowfall totalling 5-8 feet has continued the strong season, along with another 2-3 feet last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
227
121%
100%
Breckenridge
261
165%
100%
Copper Mt.
277
190%
100%
Keystone
212
192%
100%
Loveland
251
141%
100%
Steamboat
327
154%
100%
Vail
299
146%
99%
Winter Park
274
134%
90%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen and Crested Butte have been well above average from the northern storms, but everything farther south was much drier than normal through the holidays. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern Colorado areas barely reached full operation after an average January. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 63.
RSN February Snow: Telluride 18.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
214
171%
100%
Crested Butte
183
143%
100%
Durango
88
66%
100%
Wolf Creek
135
70%
100%
Taos
58
40%
60%
Arizona Snowbowl
20
16%
0%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions well above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Conditions degraded from rain Christmas week, mid-January and last week, while being restored from snow and cold in early and late January. Forecasters expect eastern conditions to improve in February. Percents open: Killington 59%, Okemo 89%, Stratton 87%, Sugarloaf 50%, Sunday River 75%, Hunter 74%, Mt. St. Anne 100%, Tremblant 70%, Snowshoe 100%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 38, Okemo 24, Sunday River 32, Mt. Ste. Anne 37, Snowshoe 29.
RSN February Snow: Stratton 4, Okemo 2, Sunday River 4, Mt. Ste. Anne 25, Snowshoe 5.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
158
80%
95%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
108
80%
100%
Sugarbush
119
80%
95%
Cannon Mt.
91
111%
56%
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There were 2 northern storm tracks in November and the first week of December. Both hit Washington, Oregon, the Northern Rockies, and Northern and Central Colorado, and most areas in these regions were close to full operation by mid -December. The earlier storms hit western Canada, while the later storms dumped on previously dry Utah. The second week of December was mostly dry but there was moderate snow in the week before Christmas in several regions. Christmas week was stormy but warm in most of the West, with some rain at lower West Coast elevations but 3 feet of snow up higher, and cement-like snow at some areas in the Rockies. A final intense storm hit much of the West over New Year's weekend, with a break in weather for the next few days. For the next month the Pacific Northwest was continuously stormy, with considerable snowfalls in most other regions. Only the far Southwest continued to miss out, with some areas restricted on less than half normal snow. The past week was dry and warm, though many regions expect snow by this coming weekend.
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths reached 12+ feet, but holiday conditions were still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. Mid-January storms of 3-5 feet were colder and improved the lower elevations, along with another 2-3 feet in late January. Early February storms barely reached Tahoe with a few inches, and nothing farther south. Last week was completely dry, and lower elevations have softeened to spring conditions. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 95, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 95.
RSN February Snow: Heavenly 3, Northstar 7, Sierra-at-Tahoe 4.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
248
92%
100%
Kirkwood
288
99%
100%
Mammoth
297
133%
100%
Southern Cal
8
11%
5-80%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations were variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas through the holidays. In January Whistler and the Washington areas were pounded with up to 15 feet of snow. 2 more feet in early February before finally a break in weather last week.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 74.
RSN February Snow: Mt Bachelor 7.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
327
122%
100%
Stevens Pass
394
126%
100%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Skiers reported that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama were sketchy through the holidays. Conditions dramatically improved in January with at least 4 feet of snow in the Banff region and as much as 10 feet in some Kootenay areas. Most areas had 1-2 feet in early February but only a couple of inches last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
122
115%
100%
Kicking Horse
213
126%
100%
Fernie
254
100%
100%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas had 3-5 feet more through the holidays, and another 6-11 feet in January. Average snow of another foot last week in early February, and the 7-9 inches at Big Sky/Bridger were the most snow in the West last week. So far this is the best season in the region since the records of 1996-97.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 56, Big Sky 78.
RSN February Snow: Bridger 14, Big Sky 28.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
278
132%
100%
Grand Targhee
365
118%
100%
Jackson Hole
339
134%
100%
Sun Valley
204
162%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. A mid-January storm dropped another 3 feet in the Wasatch, with 3-5 feet later in the month and average 2 feet in early February. Brian Head was in the Southwest drought through early January but reached full operation with 5 feet later in the month. No new snow last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
373
119%
100%
Snowbird
336
124%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
361
150%
100%
Park City/The Canyons
255
143%
100%
Snowbasin
248
125%
100%
Brian Head
110
57%
100%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. Steady January snowfall totalling 5-8 feet continued the strong season. Another 2-3 feet in early February, but just a couple of inches last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
228
114%
100%
Breckenridge
264
156%
100%
Copper Mt.
278
178%
100%
Keystone
213
177%
100%
Loveland
252
132%
100%
Steamboat
327
144%
100%
Vail
300
137%
99%
Winter Park
279
128%
90%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen and Crested Butte have been well above average from the northern storms, but everything farther south was much drier than normal through the holidays. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern Colorado areas barely reached full operation after an average January. No new snow last week. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 63.
RSN February Snow: Telluride 18.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
214
158%
100%
Crested Butte
183
131%
100%
Durango
88
61%
99%
Wolf Creek
135
65%
100%
Taos
58
37%
60%
Arizona Snowbowl
20
14%
0%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions well above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Conditions degraded from rain Christmas week, mid-January and last week, while being restored from snow and cold in early and late January. Last week's East Coast blizzard unfortunately brought only a few inches snow to northern New England. Percents open: Killington 70%, Okemo 89%, Stratton 89%, Sugarloaf 56%, Sunday River 78%, Hunter 80%, Mt. St. Anne 100%, Tremblant 96%, Snowshoe 100%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 38, Okemo 24, Sunday River 32, Mt. Ste. Anne 37, Snowshoe 29.
RSN February Snow: Stratton 10, Okemo 7, Sunday River 6, Mt. Ste. Anne 27, Snowshoe 29.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
166
78%
88%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
110
76%
100%
Sugarbush
120
75%
96%
Cannon Mt.
98
109%
64%
More areas are posting season snowfall since 2003-04, so I track the less reliable numbers from RSN on a more selective basis. I now include season snowfall from several areas italicized from SnoCountry and RSN through December. The Snocountry season totals are only reliable enough to use beyond New Year's for a handful of areas.
California: Mammoth opened a few runs on snowmaking Nov. 10. Boreal was the only other area to make enough snow to open for Thanksgiving. After 3 feet the following week, most Sierra areas opened for the first weekend of December, but with less than half of terrain. A surprise storm dropped 3 feet at higher elevations Dec. 18-19, so Mammoth, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and the upper parts of Heavenly were in decent shape by Christmas. The Christmas week storms were stronger, averaging 3+ feet, folowed by huge dumps of 3-10 feet over New Year's weekend. Snow levels fluctuated, but were occasionally as high as 9,000 feet. High elevation base depths reached 12+ feet, but holiday conditions were still sketchy below 7,000 feet and just adequate up to 8,000 feet. Mid-January storms of 3-5 feet were colder and improved the lower elevations, along with another 2-3 feet in late January. Early February storms barely reached Tahoe with a few inches, and nothing farther south. Last week was completely dry, and lower elevations have softeened to spring conditions. See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
RSN December Snow: Heavenly 75, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 80.
RSN January Snow: Heavenly 95, Northstar 78, Sierra-at-Tahoe 95.
RSN February Snow: Heavenly 3, Northstar 7, Sierra-at-Tahoe 4.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Squaw 8,000
248
92%
100%
Kirkwood
288
99%
100%
Mammoth
297
133%
100%
Southern Cal
8
11%
5-80%
Pacific Northwest: Mt. Baker opened Nov. 8 with 100% of terrain and a 5-7 foot base. Crystal opened Nov. 4 on about 4 feet as did Blackcomb and Timberline on lesser amounts. Another 2-3 feet of snow fell on Washington and Oregon areas in early December, and these areas had 3-6 foot bases for the holidays with variable surface conditions due to low elevation rain. Whistler had only 20 inches in the first half of December, and then it rained to the top on Christmas. Christmas to New Year's storms finally opened up the Whistler alpine with up to 7 feet of snow, but lower elevations were variable and snowmaking dependent. Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood had more snow and less rain than other Northwest areas through the holidays. In January Whistler and the Washington areas were pounded with up to 15 feet of snow. 2 more feet in early February before finally a break in weather last week.
RSN January Snow: Mt Bachelor 74.
RSN February Snow: Mt Bachelor 7.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Whistler
327
122%
100%
Stevens Pass
394
126%
100%
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: Snow was above average in November but far below average in most of December. Skiers reported that low snow sectors like the front of Lake Louise, lower half of Kicking Horse and upper parts of Panorama were sketchy through the holidays. Conditions dramatically improved in January with at least 4 feet of snow in the Banff region and as much as 10 feet in some Kootenay areas. Most areas had 1-2 feet in early February but only a couple of inches last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Lake Louise
122
115%
100%
Kicking Horse
213
126%
100%
Fernie
254
100%
100%
U. S. Northern Rockies: This region has had a very strong start since early November. Big Sky opened Lone Peak at the end of November, a rare occurrence. Jackson Hole opened all lifts December 10. All areas were close to full operation with excellent conditions by mid-December, and most of these areas had 3-5 feet more through the holidays, and another 6-11 feet in January. Average snow of another foot last week in early February, and the 7-9 inches at Big Sky/Bridger were the most snow in the West last week. So far this is the best season in the region since the records of 1996-97.
RSN January Snow: Bridger 56, Big Sky 78.
RSN February Snow: Bridger 14, Big Sky 28.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Big Mountain
278
132%
100%
Grand Targhee
365
118%
100%
Jackson Hole
339
134%
100%
Sun Valley
204
162%
100%
Utah: Utah was much drier than normal for most of November and thus Alta opened a week later than scheduled. But huge dumps from late Thanksgiving weekend through early December brought season totals above normal. The Cottonwood Canyon areas have since been in full operation, and the other Wasatch areas were in full operation for the holidays after 2+ feet the week before Christmas. About 2 feet of very wet snow fell during Christmas week and 3+ feet over New Year's. A mid-January storm dropped another 3 feet in the Wasatch, with 3-5 feet later in the month and average 2 feet in early February. Brian Head was in the Southwest drought through early January but reached full operation with 5 feet later in the month. No new snow last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Alta
373
119%
100%
Snowbird
336
124%
100%
Brighton/Solitude
361
150%
100%
Park City/The Canyons
255
143%
100%
Snowbasin
248
125%
100%
Brian Head
110
57%
100%
Northern and Central Colorado: Loveland and A-Basin had a couple of runs open on mostly snowmaking since mid-October. November snowfall was much above normal, and by December 1 this region had as much terrain open as at an average Christmas. With another 5-8 feet (10 at Steamboat) in December, everyone was close to full operation for the holidays with the best season start since 1995-96. Steady January snowfall totalling 5-8 feet continued the strong season. Another 2-3 feet in early February, but just a couple of inches last week.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Beaver Creek
228
114%
100%
Breckenridge
264
156%
100%
Copper Mt.
278
178%
100%
Keystone
213
177%
100%
Loveland
252
132%
100%
Steamboat
327
144%
100%
Vail
300
137%
99%
Winter Park
279
128%
90%
Southern and Western Colorado: Aspen and Crested Butte have been well above average from the northern storms, but everything farther south was much drier than normal through the holidays. Advanced/expert terrain is often not open until January in these areas in normal years, and the southern Colorado areas barely reached full operation after an average January. No new snow last week. Farther south in Arizona and New Mexico the season remains a complete bust.
RSN January Snow: Telluride 63.
RSN February Snow: Telluride 18.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Aspen
214
158%
100%
Crested Butte
183
131%
100%
Durango
88
61%
99%
Wolf Creek
135
65%
100%
Taos
58
37%
60%
Arizona Snowbowl
20
14%
0%
Northeast: The remnants of Hurricane Wilma turned into a Nor'easter that dumped 2-4 feet of snow in parts of New England, prompting Wildcat (24 trails) and Killington (22 trails) to open more terrain on October 29-30 than would be normal for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately both areas closed Oct. 31, and ensuing warm weather wiped out most of the natural snow. Several areas opened on snowmaking the weekend before Thanksgiving, by which time the snowmaking leaders were about 20% open with cold temps and some new snow. Several trails closed with rain at the end of November, but first half of December snowfall and snowmaking conditions well above average, opening about half of terrain. The week before Christmas brought 2-3 feet new snow to much of Vermont, bringing many areas to 90+% open. Conditions degraded from rain Christmas week, mid-January and last week, while being restored from snow and cold in early and late January. Last week's East Coast blizzard unfortunately brought only a few inches snow to northern New England. Percents open: Killington 70%, Okemo 89%, Stratton 89%, Sugarloaf 56%, Sunday River 78%, Hunter 80%, Mt. St. Anne 100%, Tremblant 96%, Snowshoe 100%. I strongly recommend checking First Tracks Online Ski Magazine No-Bull Ski Reports for up to date information in this region, where both weather and surface conditions can change so rapidly.
RSN December Snow: Killington 44, Stratton 24, Okemo 28, Sunday River 33, Mt. Ste. Anne 60, Snowshoe 30.
RSN January Snow: Stratton 38, Okemo 24, Sunday River 32, Mt. Ste. Anne 37, Snowshoe 29.
RSN February Snow: Stratton 10, Okemo 7, Sunday River 6, Mt. Ste. Anne 27, Snowshoe 29.
Area
Season Snow
Pct. of Normal
Pct. of Area Open
Jay (min.)
166
78%
88%
Stowe (Mansfield Stake)
110
76%
100%
Sugarbush
120
75%
96%
Cannon Mt.
98
109%
64%