Western North America Conditions 2025/26

[Tony Crocker]

My end of February report is here.

Western North America season-to-date snowfall improved from its 58% low point to 68% at the end of the month. For the entire season 1976-77 seems secure in its worst ever position of 58%. But this year is in the running with 1980-81 (69%) and 2014-15 (67%) for next worst, particularly with another widespread dry spell forecast for the first half of March.

Qualitatively I think this year is likely to be worse than 1980-81 and 2014-15. The latter season's meager snowfall was more front ended so more terrain was open during the sustained mid-season dry spells. There are also current season negative events not directly in those numbers, such as the Sierra getting that huge rain event right after its snowiest week of the year. And even where I've been in Canada, locals griped about the long January dry spell, which ensued after a mid-January rain event in most of British Columbia.

Among those three bad seasons are significant regional variations. I think there will be quite a few record lows at individual areas in Oregon and Colorado for example if the season doesn't rally past mid-March.

 

[ShiftyRider]

 

[snowtrekker]

Sublimation: when snow evaporates without going through the liquid stage. Low humidity is essential and a light breeze might help. Stronger winds would likely stiffen the rain crust. I saw this at Island Lake in 2003. There was a low elevation rain crust that was about 100 feet lower overnight between one day and the next.

I experienced this firsthand at Silverton the past three days, where light rain up to nearly 13,000 ft on Wednesday produced a thin crust that decomposed to facets by Saturday. Exposed mid elevation slopes were challenging Thursday, but we were skiing great facet powder with no evidence of a crust by Saturday.

 

[cbgarrett]

LCC backcountry is skiing well. Some dry powder, some wind buff.

 

[EMSC]

LCC backcountry is skiing well.

Looks like a good effort. Were you in/out of Alta? Or entirely backcountry uphill?

 

[cbgarrett]

Looks like a good effort. Were you in/out of Alta? Or entirely backcountry uphill?

Alta base lot up through grizzly gulch up to top of patsy marley and edge of wolverine cirque. Easy to do a tour, then a few laps inbounds.

 

[kingslug]

Brighton wasn't too bad today..ever since I set the bar..a bit low. Scratchy at the top..but snowing.
Going to hit it again tomorrow as I think the crowds will be a bit less than snowbird.
And I've discovered the great western area which is great in a storm.
Might buy a season pass next year...

 

[Tony Crocker]

Steeper lines on Great Western have SW exposure. You'll need the same level of dump as in Mineral Basin to avoid a coral reef subsurface on powder days.

 

[MarzNC]

I know a southeast senior skier who wants to ski somewhere with decent snow in late March. Just got home from a month at a beach area. Anywhere in the USA or Canada is probably fine. Don't think Europe is an option. Experienced former instructor and ski patroller who is not pushing hard these days due to a wonky knee.

Mammoth? Northern Vermont? Idaho? Montana?

 

[Sbooker]

I know a southeast senior skier who wants to ski somewhere with decent snow in late March. Just got home from a month at a beach area. Anywhere in the USA or Canada is probably fine. Don't think Europe is an option. Experienced former instructor and ski patroller who is not pushing hard these days due to a wonky knee.

Mammoth? Northern Vermont? Idaho? Montana?

Related to this I might have to cancel my Europe trip due to being scheduled to stop for a few hours in a war zone. Alternative last minute flights are likely to be extortionate so I’ll probably look at going late April. I might even consider western North America.
@Tony Crocker how is Mt Bachelor likely to be in late April given the lean season? They have a spring pass that’s decent value. Or is Banff/Marmot Basin likely to hold in better?

 

[Tony Crocker]

Mammoth?

Clearly safest bet in US for that time frame and later this spring. LCC would be a close second with more powder upside.

Northern Vermont?

Only as a last minute call. The Northeast run of exceptional conditions is forecast to end with rain later this week. It doesn't matter in Vermont how great the season has been. It mainly matters what the weather is the week before you go there.

Idaho? Montana?

No. Subpar snowpacks and most of those places have low altitude and/or sunny exposures in spring.

Banff/Lake Louise is still a great option. Snowfall has tailed off after the record December, but the snowpack is still robust and spring snow preservation is good. I'd make that first choice really. Mammoth and LCC are good in spring nearly every year, so why not pick a place that having one of its best seasons?

Mt Bachelor

No. Oregon is having an awful year, second worst to 1976-77. To my knowledge the Summit chair has not opened yet, and I'm fairly sure this is the only time since it was built in 1982 that it has not been open well before this time of year. I'm hedging that comment because Bachelor is one of those places where you have check the website during operating hours to know what's open. But the base is 42 inches and Northwest is closed today due to a rain/freeze event.

Most seasons there would be a long list of Colorado areas recommended for late March, but not this year!

 

[kingslug]

The trees off snake were best today. Yup..frozen layer at great western..but as an old eastern skier..I was used to it.
And I got cliffed out as a bonus!

 

[hoodskier]

Oregon is having an awful year, second worst to 1976-77.

It is quite bad at the moment. 2004-2005 was also terrible up until late February when a series of storms gave us ~3-4 weeks of excellent skiing into mid-late March. That year the resort opened on a 12" base in mid-December and closed for 1-2 weeks around the end of January. I'm recalling all of this from memory so the dates might not be perfect but it should be reasonably close.

On a brighter note: the freezing levels have dropped today and we are forecasted to receive 5"-10" of snow before opening tomorrow. I am taking tomorrow off work to get some turns in before it warms up again on Friday.

 

[kingslug]

Today at S bird was weird..mineral was ok with the sun..but then strong winds came in and colder temps.
Had to be careful where you jumped in.

Pipeline!

 

[MarzNC]

Since Alta is where I ski in April, I look at the Season Totals graph comparison with other seasons every so often. The low season within the last decade seems to be 2021-22. There was a longer period with essentially no new snow, but the total as of early January 2022 was over 100 inches more than in January 2026. The total on April 1, 2021 was 370.5 inches, about 125 more than the current total.

 

[Sbooker]

Since Alta is where I ski in April, I look at the Season Totals graph comparison with other seasons every so often. The low season within the last decade seems to be 2021-22. There was a longer period with essentially no new snow, but the total as of early January 2022 was over 100 inches more than in January 2026. The total on April 1, 2021 was 370.5 inches, about 125 more than the current total.

View attachment 49990

That was the year that the Sierra and Tahoe had 'miracle March' I'm sure. I can still remember the pics of loaded snow at Squaw Valley.

 

[Sbooker]

I'm feeling that my flights to Milan on the 22nd of this month will be cancelled. I probably won't know until a week before. Alternative flights through Singapore are now crazy expensive so if the existing flights are cancelled I won't be flying to Europe. Are there any reasons I shouldn't fly into Calgary at about the same time. The trip would extend to over the Easter period. Is Banff and the surrounding area likely to be crazy busy? @Tony Crocker I believe the snow base should be fine in the Canadian Rockies for the next month?

 

[MarzNC]

The trip would extend to over the Easter period. Is Banff and the surrounding area likely to be crazy busy?

In general, school springs breaks in N. America are spread out over March and early April. So the period that includes Easter is nothing like the holiday period around Christmas. For that matter, in the USA the week of Pres. Day is probably busier in many destination resorts than around Easter.

 

[Sbooker]

In general, school springs breaks in N. America are spread out over March and early April. So the period that includes Easter is nothing like the holiday period around Christmas. For that matter, in the USA the week of Pres. Day is probably busier in many destination resorts than around Easter.

With the cost of lift tickets in the US coupled with a less than ideal exchange rate I think I’ll stick with Canada. If I had a pass of some kind the US might be in play.

 

[jimk]

I'm feeling that my flights to Milan on the 22nd of this month will be cancelled. I probably won't know until a week before. Alternative flights through Singapore are now crazy expensive so if the existing flights are cancelled I won't be flying to Europe. Are there any reasons I shouldn't fly into Calgary at about the same time. The trip would extend to over the Easter period. Is Banff and the surrounding area likely to be crazy busy? @Tony Crocker I believe the snow base should be fine in the Canadian Rockies for the next month?

I'll be skiing Louise and Sunshine Mar 22-27. Let me know if we'll overlap. Perhaps we can make a few turns together?