I think the new snow allowed them to extend.
Western North America Conditions 2025/26
- Thread starter ChrisC
- Start date
I'm sure it did but the percent of terrain open has remained below 10%. I'll agree with MarzNC that in that condition A-Basin is mainly a social event. Meanwhile Mammoth is twice as big and 43% open.
Note that in the cult thread I recalled being at A-Basin at about this time in 2015 when the shoe was on the other foot.
berkshireskier:
Since I had to contact Sunshine for snow data, I asked and got this response:
I looked up a map and found this:
Goat's Eye and Continental Divide both have almost exactly west facing orientation. My impression of snow preservation comes from Goat's Eye having a lot of steep fall lines off skier's left with fairly direct south orientation. I've never seen spring conditions on Divide runs, but they are more intermediate, west-facing and I've never skied there later than early April when it's still been cold.
I know from Mammoth that once you get beyond mid-May or so, the hot afternoons hit west facing terrain very hard.
Should Sunshine be the Canadian A-Basin? When you adjust for latitude (275 feet per one degree), Sunshine's skiable altitude range above its village is only 500 feet lower than A-Basin's. But in late spring and summer there's a world of difference between steep north facing and intermediate west facing.
Once you get past mid-May, can anyone besides Mammoth and Mt. Bachelor offer expansive acreage of skiing? It depends upon topography, lift placement, deep snowpack (high SWE) and snow preservation. Whistler is an obvious candidate and I'm sure @takeahike46er can comment more specifically. How long can snow last at the base of key chairs: Peak, Harmony, Emerald, Big Red at Whistler; Glacier, Jersey Cream, 7th Heaven at Blackcomb?
The other issue, which certainly might apply with Vail's ownership of W/B, is how much does management care about the late season? By natural attributes, Mt. Bachelor can make it to July about twice as often as Mammoth can, but POWDR Corp doesn't care, and thus nearly always closes by Memorial Day. The managements that care most about late season are A-Basin and Mammoth, and probably Killington, aside from its late aughts hiatus.
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Abasin only needs to run 2 lifts for spring operations. From that, due to the social scene, they keep the restaurants and bars busy. I suspect this is where the $ comes from in the spring. I suspect it all comes down to the economics of staying open. This likely varies from mtn to mtn on number of lifts and staff to maintain operations, etc.
I think Mammoth gets adequate business on weekends until they close. Midweek, they try to keep the race camps booked.
snowbird surfer
Member
Jackson was on suicide watch for a good portion of the winter…but in mid February it was hero (not blower) powder with full charging through tower three, riverton, Alta chutes etc. IIRC Alta 1 opened for the first time this year during that Feb spell. I was lucky enough to hike Cody as well and ski 4/no shadows but not pucker. The snow anywhere above thunder lift offered pinpoint control. The pass skied also skied great for a few days. Timing as always is everything. As I look back on my season, I recall many great days despite shit stats; but at times, exhausting logistics (switched trips from Utah to BC and later from UT to Aosta/Cham) and the psychic weight of maximizing. Passes + Open Snow = paradox of choice.
Race camps must bring good $. Both Copper and Winter Park usually keep lifts spinning for race camps after they close to the public. Checking webcams at Copper, it still appears that Excelerator is running for race programs despite the minimal snow.
How many lifts are required to run either mountain late season? Common treads at Mammoth, Abasin, Killington, MSS is that skiing starts/ends at the parking lot. W/B village is a long way from the snow line this time of year. Lots of uploading and downloading required.
takeahike46er
Active member
If the goal was to having skiing as late as possible, Peak and Harmony would last the longest. Big Red usually melts out first, then the bottom of Glacier, then 7th, then JC.
But just because there’s snow, doesn’t mean it’s worth skiing IMO. Snow quality starts to diminish regionally in May. Some of that can be offset by elevation, slope angle and aspect, but neither Whistler or Blackcomb has the equivalent of a Chair 23—one that’s short, steep and services a good chunk of north-facing terrain at the highest elevations. The closest is analogue is obviously Peak Chair, but it has some major bottlenecks which only gets worse as the snow melts out, and the majority of the terrain it services cannot be skied without going down to Big Red.
If the lift network was optimized more for summer skiing, I’m sure W/B could keep the lifts spinning regularly into the summer. But with what’s considered one of the best bike parks in the world combined with all their summer attractions, does management need to? Whistler is already quite busy in the summer. There’s hardly a shoulder season. With the glaciers disappearing and the mountains literally crumbling due to melting permafrost and glacier recession, why invest in a longer ski season when you’ve got a good thing going?
Getting folks to the snow isn’t an issue. They run 3 gondolas practically year-round (BG, P2P, WVG). Peak Chair runs much of the summer for sightseeing as well. Oh, and don’t forget about Fitz, Garbo and Creekside for the bike park! These mountains wish they had Whistler’s summer business.
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Mammoth also has advanced/intermediate chair 3 and mainstream intermediate chair 1. Groomers on both of these are salted, so as the season pushes way late intermediates as well as experts are accommodated. I think Emerald would be mostly likely to play that role at Whistler, though Harmony has some groomers comparable to chair 3 with more vertical/acreage. And Whistler's T-bars probably were used in summer before the merger with Blackcomb.
Mammoth also has a thriving summer bike park scene. Big snow years delay or limit its opening terrain.
Yes, where skiing was developed on glaciers/snowfields and they break up (Stockhorn at Zermatt, Timberline recently discussed), the line of least resistance is to give up. Ironically at its latitude 37 Mammoth only has snow last through the summer when it gets 600+ inches of snow. The lifts and topography are well suited to handle the snow as long as it lasts, which we all know is highly variable by season.
What makes demand better at Mammoth IMHO is that SoCal interest in summer skiing is higher than in most metro areas because we don't have unpleasant winters at home. Vancouver locals are probably eager to indulge their short season of warm and dry weather.
takeahike46er
Active member
Totally agree.
Local interests aside, there’s no comparison between the two. Mammoth’s higher elevation, topography and distance from the coast also makes it more ideal. Its night’s are significantly colder. With the loss of the glaciers, Whistler is not nearly as well suited for summer skiing.
This is where Whistler’s vertical is advantageous. Mammoth’s bike park may be thriving, but it’s no Whistler. Between the North Shore, Squamish and the WBP, Whistler is a global mecca for mountain biking.
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ChrisC
Well-known member
Well, Jackson's full early-season bullshit reporting was very effective this season.
Frankly, from a business perspective, I would advise them to continue full-throttle. From a skier's perspective, it's completely dishonest. It helps create the perception that Jackson Hole is a high-snowfall mountain on par with the Cottonwoods of Utah. However, Jackson has rather limited terrain near 9-10.5k, and its prized terrain, like Hobacks, is only located at a medium-snowfall elevation of 6-8.5k with poor exposure.
This inaccurate reporting led Jackson to release charts like this at Christmas, when British Columbia was having an amazing season, and Jackson was nowhere near the same level - especially when most of the below total melted off by November.
Just lies, it all melted for the most part (below):
November
Pre-season conditions were a mouth-watering appetizer for the rest of winter, with just over five feet falling in November. Big Red began transporting passengers to the powder paradise of the upper mountain on just the second Saturday of the season, the earliest it has opened in over a decade. Full-throttle from the get-go, this season has been flush with records, statistically speaking. Let's dive in and recap each month thus far.
Again, I have seen this misrepresentation pattern go on for a decade+, and tried to document
But the lies are important for the Holiday Press Release heralding Jackson Hole as one of the snowiest in North America.
Three and a Half Feet of Snow in One Week at Jackson Hole
Holiday season storms deliver over THREE FEET of new snow with more on the way heading into the New Year.
www.jacksonhole.com
Again, Jackson needs to reinforce its "high snowfall" persona, because its conditions are nowhere near as good as Alta's, Snowbird's, Brighton's, or Solitude's on a typical ski day. Yes, Jackson has the terrain and vertical, but it suffers Alps-like issues, similar to Whistler, in that its lower mountain is not in good condition most of its operating season. And your average skier does not understand most of its terrain faces east, then south, with some north. Squaw is similar, and its best terrain is north-facing KT22, Palisades, Emigrant backside. Broken Arrow and Silverado somewhat function as the Hobacks (but less reliable). Headwall and Granite Chief function similar to Laramie and Cheyenne,
Last Jackson report before warm temps and rain
A Snowy Start to 2026 in Jackson Hole
Nearly FOUR FEET of snow turns Jackson Hole into a powderhound's playground.
www.jacksonhole.com
Yearly Summary
That's a wrap for the record-setting 2022-23 winter season at Jackson Hole. 595" of snow fell making this winter the snowiest, deepest ever recorded in Rendezvous Bowl!
Lies:
You missed the record snow year! At 10+k snow plot.
Snowiest Winter Ever at Jackson Hole
594" in Rendezvous Bowl = deepest winter EVER. Relive the dreamy conditions with us.
www.jacksonhole.com
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ChrisC
Well-known member
More lies:
Over 500" of snowfall and consistently cold temps throughout this season have resulted in deep, complete coverage across the Resort. Once the sun climbs higher in the sky and temps begin to rise, we'll truly be thankful for such a snowy winter as we ski and ride prime spring conditions until the last chair spins on April 9.
Over 500" of snowfall and consistently cold temps throughout this season have resulted in deep, complete coverage across the Resort. Once the sun climbs higher in the sky and temps begin to rise, we'll truly be thankful for such a snowy winter as we ski and ride prime spring conditions until the last chair spins on April 9.
takeahike46er
Active member
I have to admit, that Jackson bar chart triggers me every time I see it. 
What season is that quote from? Probably the same 2023, as closing date April 9 is a Sunday in 2023.
This the
part of that blurb.
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I suspected as much, but as I've never skied Whistler after early April, I've waited to hear local confirmation. With latitude adjustment Mammoth and Whistler are not that different in terms of conventional March/April snow preservation, but I think there's an absolute altitude effect where the thin air slows down summer deterioration. I was very impressed the one time I skied A-Basin in June that the snow didn't get sticky midday on unsalted intermediate runs.
I'm still waiting on some 2025-26 data to finish out this exercise for California and Utah.
Alta/Snowbird:
For Alta the later 4 years snow numbers are from the Collins site, while the earlier ones are from UDOT near Alta's base. In terms of a slow start 1976-77 is the standout, and 2017-18 was the slowest of the recent ones. But overall it's a positive record only exceeded by Targhee. Due to more rugged lower mountain terrain, Snowbird will consistently lag Alta in getting terrain open in slow starting seasons. Both areas preserve snow well, so notice negligible decline in open terrain in 2014-15, which started OK but had near record low snowfalls in January, February and March. It's quite a statement about the March 2026 heat wave that some terrain at these areas closed in late March.
Snowbasin:
There is no snowfall data for the earlier lean seasons in Utah. 2025-26 is by far the worst for Snowbasin due its lower mountain getting rain several times.
Park City:
Park City snowfall numbers for 2025-26 are an estimate. 2017-18 is the worst recent early season in terms of open terrain, but by snowfall 1980-81 looks comparable and 1976-77 worse. Open terrain declines late in several of the recent lean seasons, but only in 2025-26 was there a complete wipeout by the end of March.
Alta/Snowbird:
| alta snow | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | max base | ||
60-61 | 75.00 | 40.00 | 1.00 | 62.00 | 113.00 | 35.00 | 326.00 | ||
62-63 | 31.00 | 17.00 | 85.00 | 39.00 | 93.00 | 136.00 | 401.00 | ||
76-77 | 13.50 | 17.00 | 50.50 | 73.50 | 129.00 | 31.00 | 314.50 | ||
86-87 | 58.00 | 13.50 | 79.50 | 80.50 | 102.00 | 21.00 | 354.50 | ||
11-12 | 58.50 | 20.00 | 70.50 | 79.50 | 80.00 | 64.00 | 372.50 | 96.00 | |
14-15 | 66.50 | 96.00 | 30.50 | 36.50 | 31.50 | 62.50 | 323.50 | 76.00 | |
17-18 | 23.50 | 50.50 | 62.00 | 83.00 | 96.00 | 66.00 | 381.00 | 96.00 | |
25-26 | 14.50 | 45.50 | 69.00 | 72.50 | 51.00 | 54.50 | 307.00 | 85.00 | |
| alta open | 15-Dec | 31-Dec | 15-Jan | 31-Jan | 14-Feb | 28-Feb | 15-Mar | 31-Mar | |
11-12 | 50% | 80% | 73% | 95% | 95% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
14-15 | 95% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
17-18 | 35% | 75% | 76% | 95% | 95% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
25-26 | 25% | 52% | 96% | 97% | 97% | 90% | 95% | 59% | |
| bird open | 15-Dec | 31-Dec | 15-Jan | 31-Jan | 14-Feb | 28-Feb | 15-Mar | 31-Mar | |
11-12 | 24% | 50% | 50% | 88% | 90% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
14-15 | 31% | 90% | 95% | 96% | 95% | 97% | 94% | 94% | |
17-18 | 6% | 23% | 27% | 61% | 82% | 82% | 84% | 88% | |
25-26 | 23% | 33% | 87% | 97% | 93% | 83% | 93% | 60% |
For Alta the later 4 years snow numbers are from the Collins site, while the earlier ones are from UDOT near Alta's base. In terms of a slow start 1976-77 is the standout, and 2017-18 was the slowest of the recent ones. But overall it's a positive record only exceeded by Targhee. Due to more rugged lower mountain terrain, Snowbird will consistently lag Alta in getting terrain open in slow starting seasons. Both areas preserve snow well, so notice negligible decline in open terrain in 2014-15, which started OK but had near record low snowfalls in January, February and March. It's quite a statement about the March 2026 heat wave that some terrain at these areas closed in late March.
Snowbasin:
| snow | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | max base | ||
11-12 | 43.00 | 6.00 | 62.00 | 23.00 | 42.00 | 23.00 | 199.00 | 72.00 | |
14-15 | 23.00 | 53.00 | 18.00 | 14.00 | 27.00 | 31.00 | 166.00 | 56.00 | |
17-18 | 24.00 | 38.00 | 28.00 | 54.00 | 62.00 | 20.00 | 226.00 | 63.00 | |
25-26 | 9.00 | 25.00 | 30.00 | 28.00 | 15.00 | 23.00 | 130.00 | 57.00 | |
| open | 15-Dec | 31-Dec | 15-Jan | 31-Jan | 14-Feb | 28-Feb | 15-Mar | 31-Mar | |
11-12 | 30% | 50% | 40% | 93% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
14-15 | 8% | 78% | 98% | 99% | 95% | 95% | 95% | 77% | |
17-18 | 9% | 50% | 65% | 90% | 80% | 88% | 97% | 90% | |
25-26 | 18% | 12% | 39% | 63% | 61% | 71% | 65% | 0% |
There is no snowfall data for the earlier lean seasons in Utah. 2025-26 is by far the worst for Snowbasin due its lower mountain getting rain several times.
Park City:
| snow | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | max base | ||
76-77 | 6.00 | 6.00 | 25.00 | 55.00 | 48.00 | 5.00 | 145.00 | ||
80-81 | 11.00 | 25.00 | 40.00 | 31.00 | 58.00 | 21.00 | 186.00 | ||
86-87 | 18.00 | 7.00 | 59.00 | 38.00 | 46.00 | 3.00 | 171.00 | ||
11-12 | 42.00 | 21.00 | 39.00 | 43.00 | 44.00 | 22.00 | 211.00 | 63.00 | |
14-15 | 24.00 | 45.00 | 30.00 | 24.00 | 25.00 | 19.00 | 167.00 | 56.00 | |
17-18 | 8.00 | 34.00 | 42.00 | 52.00 | 44.00 | 15.50 | 195.50 | 46.00 | |
21-22 | 13.00 | 66.00 | 22.00 | 10.00 | 17.00 | 20.00 | 148.00 | 50.00 | |
25-26 | 0.00 | 29.00 | 34.00 | 40.00 | 18.00 | 32.00 | 153.00 | 64.00 | |
| open | 15-Dec | 31-Dec | 15-Jan | 31-Jan | 14-Feb | 28-Feb | 15-Mar | 31-Mar | |
11-12 | 21% | 48% | 47% | 93% | 93% | 97% | 93% | 84% | |
14-15 | 9% | 72% | 89% | 94% | 90% | 87% | 88% | 46% | |
17-18 | 6% | 18% | 28% | 60% | 59% | 81% | 79% | 75% | |
21-22 | 7% | 54% | 83% | 92% | 87% | 86% | 85% | 50% | |
25-26 | 3% | 14% | 50% | 65% | 61% | 66% | 52% | 0% |
Park City snowfall numbers for 2025-26 are an estimate. 2017-18 is the worst recent early season in terms of open terrain, but by snowfall 1980-81 looks comparable and 1976-77 worse. Open terrain declines late in several of the recent lean seasons, but only in 2025-26 was there a complete wipeout by the end of March.
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Mammoth just announced it will stay open another week to May 31.
Here's Mammoth's lean season history:
The 3 most recent seasons benefited from some early warm storms that were heavy snow on the upper half of Mammoth, mixed precip at the Main Lodge snow plot and mostly rain at Tahoe. 2013-14 is the most recent season where severe drought extended deep into the season. 1975-76 and 1986-87 look comparable and 1976-77 and 1990-91 were worse. As at AltaBird, once terrain opens preservation usually withstands dry spells and keeps it open. There was a modest decline in the March 2026 heat wave and a more significant one in 2015 when the base was much lower and it was the only other season besides 1976-77 when Mammoth never reached full operation.
Palisades:
Snowfall is from the comprehensive Alpine Meadows patrol site. Squaw's open terrain pattern was similar to Mammoth's in 2006-07 but much worse in all of the other recent lean seasons. The last 3 of these had early storms that were mostly rain at Palisades and mostly snow at Mammoth. With much lower altitude, Palisades does not hold up as well during mid season droughts. And like Snowbird vs. Alta, its topography requires more coverage to open terrain vs. Mammoth.
Here's Mammoth's lean season history:
snow | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | max base | |
75-76 | 27.00 | 14.50 | 13.50 | 54.00 | 50.00 | 38.50 | 6.00 | 203.50 | 65.00 |
76-77 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 26.00 | 27.00 | 37.00 | 0.00 | 40.00 | 130.00 | 36.00 |
86-87 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 54.70 | 69.85 | 58.00 | 8.20 | 2.00 | 192.75 | 69.00 |
90-91 | 6.75 | 27.80 | 11.40 | 6.30 | 175.95 | 5.90 | 13.00 | 247.10 | 112.00 |
06-07 | 5.00 | 54.50 | 12.50 | 96.00 | 13.00 | 26.50 | 5.00 | 212.50 | 96.00 |
11-12 | 30.00 | 2.00 | 55.00 | 28.00 | 73.50 | 36.00 | 0.00 | 224.50 | 84.00 |
13-14 | 12.50 | 18.00 | 13.50 | 50.50 | 45.00 | 43.00 | 6.50 | 189.00 | 65.00 |
14-15 | 13.50 | 48.00 | 2.50 | 25.00 | 7.00 | 29.50 | 24.50 | 150.00 | 45.00 |
17-18 | 35.50 | 4.00 | 33.50 | 23.00 | 142.00 | 7.00 | 4.50 | 249.50 | 138.00 |
25-26 | 24.00 | 67.00 | 45.50 | 88.00 | 1.00 | 50.00 | 2.00 | 277.50 | 99.00 |
| pct open | 15-Dec | 31-Dec | 15-Jan | 31-Jan | 14-Feb | 28-Feb | 15-Mar | 31-Mar | |
06-07 | 13% | 60% | 70% | 50% | 80% | 100% | 100% | 95% | |
11-12 | 13% | 14% | 14% | 80% | 85% | 80% | 85% | 100% | |
13-14 | 10% | 25% | 17% | 17% | 75% | 85% | 95% | 95% | |
14-15 | 35% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 70% | 70% | 71% | 43% | |
17-18 | 71% | 71% | 80% | 91% | 85% | 84% | 100% | 100% | |
25-26 | 38% | 67% | 98% | 98% | 95% | 94% | 97% | 75% |
Palisades:
| alpn snow | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | max base | ||
75-76 | 14.00 | 23.00 | 15.00 | 73.00 | 43.00 | 17.00 | 185.00 | ||
76-77 | 10.00 | 12.00 | 35.00 | 58.00 | 49.00 | 6.00 | 170.00 | ||
86-87 | 6.00 | 22.50 | 70.50 | 56.50 | 50.50 | 6.00 | 212.00 | ||
90-91 | 16.50 | 42.00 | 8.00 | 15.50 | 188.00 | 19.00 | 289.00 | ||
06-07 | 25.00 | 48.00 | 11.50 | 112.50 | 25.00 | 50.00 | 272.00 | 106.00 | |
11-12 | 20.50 | 1.50 | 40.00 | 43.50 | 136.00 | 44.00 | 285.50 | 61.00 | |
13-14 | 45.00 | 28.00 | 12.50 | 50.50 | 51.50 | 46.00 | 233.50 | 61.00 | |
14-15 | 17.00 | 37.00 | 1.00 | 25.50 | 16.50 | 34.50 | 131.50 | 45.00 | |
17-18 | 21.50 | 9.00 | 33.50 | 39.50 | 192.00 | 17.00 | 312.50 | 96.00 | |
25-26 | 10.00 | 42.00 | 37.50 | 97.50 | 0.00 | 60.00 | 247.00 | 99.00 | |
| squaw pct open | 15-Dec | 31-Dec | 15-Jan | 31-Jan | 14-Feb | 28-Feb | 15-Mar | 31-Mar | |
06-07 | 2% | 65% | 70% | 60% | 70% | 100% | 100% | 85% | |
11-12 | 5% | 5% | 2% | 30% | 55% | 70% | 69% | 76% | |
13-14 | 6% | 17% | 18% | 9% | 30% | 30% | 45% | 41% | |
14-15 | 18% | 59% | 32% | 25% | 31% | 21% | 32% | 24% | |
17-18 | 24% | 23% | 22% | 37% | 37% | 40% | 85% | 85% | |
25-26 | 1% | 71% | 83% | 89% | 76% | 42% | 48% | 21% |
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Definitely drought in 1976-77. There's no dramatic split between higher and lower altitude places like you see this year. In 2025-26 Colorado was the only region where it was primarily drought, and even there the SWE numbers are more than in 1976-77 even if the snowfall numbers are not.