Western North America Conditions 2025/26

Skied Kirkwood today 1130-330. Very firm in most places. High in upper 30s and windy. You wanted to make turns where snow had been deposited vs. where it had been scraped off. I dropped my rock skis that had some damage from 4 December days at Mammoth for tune-up afterward. Only almost lost it once on edge of Race Course run under Reut chair. Only ungroomed I skied was getting to and down Thunder Saddle and two laps into my favorite chute next to Olympic. Will try to post some photos.
 
Thought I would put the current map in the thread as a potential low point of snow %'s in the western US. It is finally supposed to snow at least some (Colo), or pretty decently (tahoe) over the next couple of weeks. So it will be interesting to use this as a comparison to see how many water basins see material improvement in snowpack (or not).

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Alta/Bird calling for anywhere between 8-16" over the next 48 hours. We need all we can get as the groomers are firm and the off-piste is thin.

Good snow over by the Wave in Little Cloud Bowl 7 feb 26
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But some thin spots showing through in many places.
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High definition moguls with old snow in the exit from Black Forest 9 feb 26
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Snow clouds moving in on the 9th, there was an inch or two new snow that morning.
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Brundage yesterday was DEEP... (19-29" out of this very overproducing storm.) the entire town was there, but it was still fun and not truly crowded by most peoples standards.
 
jamesdeluxe said:
Who swallows the 35 or 50% loss on that? The operator or the person who'd booked the seat?
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The person who booked the seat (At Mustang anyway). Mustang does give deals, but they are pretty small and only at the last minute (say $200 or $400 per day discount), but only when you basically have to be there within a handful of days from the offer. So basically a good deal for Kelowna or Calgary locals that have money, time and can drive over on short notice.

On my first Mustang trip there was a guy who chased deals once or twice a year. Usually in mid/late Dec if I recall.
 
Finally, some snow in Utah, about 1 foot has fallen at Snowbird in the last 48 hrs. I didn't get up yesterday, but today (12 Feb 2026) was very good. Probably the best snow I've skied this winter. So nice to be on powder/packed powder.

Nice early line in Middle Cirque. This storm was somewhat warm and heavy, but the upper mtn skied quite nicely with dryer snow.
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I missed a rope drop on the Road to Provo/Little Cloud Bowl by a couple minutes, but the sloppy seconds were still quite tasty ;-)
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The sun even came out at times, this is Little Cloud Bowl again.
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I skied Great Scott today for the first time this season. It's been too bony previously. Watched these folks for a way to get through the entrance.
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My son Vince led me down.
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Then we cut over to skier's right and he skied a snowy line in Hanging Bowl. Is that a little smile I detect?
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12 Feb 2026 might have been my favorite day this season out of 20 at Snowbird. Hopefully, more snow coming in the next 5-7 days.
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kingslug said:
Park city needs all they can get...
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10 day deterministic is now 49 at Alta, 29 at Park City, fairly typical ratio.
ChrisC said:
Mustang vs. Chatter Creek last minute deals:

One operator gives deals, the other does not.
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:eusa-dance::eusa-clap::eusa-dance:
I grabbed that deal today. I was probably driving into Canada on the 16th anyway because everything between here (Reno) and there is so crappy. This is a year Chatter Creek rates to be better being on the colder east side of the Rogers Pass/Selkirks weather divide. OpenSnow past model snowfall estimates over the past month at Mustang and Monashee have a lot of purple (mixed precip) days while Chatter Creek's are all blue (all snow).
 
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