Late October 2024 and early November saw moderate snowfall mostly in northern regions but then trending southeast into Colorado and New Mexico. Wolf Creek and Pajarito had widespread natural snow runs open by Nov. 10. Mid-November storms concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, but later in the month spread inland, especially to central Colorado. Areas in or close to full operation at the end of November included Mt. Baker, Mammoth, Lookout Pass, Grand Targhee and Wolf Creek, with Whistler and Mt. Bachelor having deep enough snowpacks to be set for the holidays. December snowfall up to Christmas was concentrated in the Pacific Northwest with moderate snowfalls in adjacent regions while the Southwest was bone dry. Northwest storms were more intense during the holiday week and spread into more regions.
Early January snowfall was strongest in the US Northern Rockies. Mid-January was mostly dry except in the north central U.S. Rockies, while the rest of the month the entire West averaged less than 6 inches of snow with only a handful of areas getting as much as a foot. Variable conditions developed aside from the most favorable altitudes/exposures. Early February's atmospheric river had a high rain snow line in California and Utah, with drought persisting to the south and cooler weather and moderate snowfalls to the north. During the second week a cooler storm dumped up to 5 feet in California and Utah and was also widespread into adjacent regions. The second half of February is predicted to gradually dry out aside from far northern regions. Snowfall totals in italics are estimates from Open Snow.
California: Several small snowfalls through mid-November assisted snowmaking openings. Stronger storms over the last week
of November totaled 4 feet at Mammoth and 1-3 feet at Tahoe based upon elevation, leaving Mammoth with by far the best conditions
in the region. After two dry weeks it snowed 3+ feet northwest of Tahoe and about 2 feet elsewhere, followed by 1-2 feet Christmas
Week. New Year's base depths averaged 2-4 feet at Tahoe and 4-5 feet at Mammoth. Early January snowfall was up to a foot,
but there was less than 4 inches snow the rest of January 7 aside from an isolated one foot storm east of Tahoe Jan. 25. The early
February AR snowed 4 feet above 8,000 feet NW of Tahoe and 2 feet south of Tahoe but was nearly all rain below 7,000 feet. The
second February storm dumped 4.5 feet at Mammoth and 3 feet at Tahoe. As of Feb. 15 Palisades' base has had only 27% as much snow
as higher up vs. long term average of 61%.
See Current California Ski Conditions for more details on Southern California and Mammoth.
Area |
Season Snow |
Pct. of Normal |
Pct. of Area Open |
Palisades 8,000 |
248 |
98% |
80% |
Alpine Meadows |
156 |
71% |
87% |
Northstar (mid estimate) |
123 |
70% |
89% |
Mt. Rose |
269 |
143% |
80% |
Heavenly |
155 |
67% |
97% |
Kirkwood |
172 |
60% |
98% |
Mammoth |
188 |
86% |
98% |
Southern Cal |
28 |
38% |
0-64% |
Arizona Snowbowl |
56 |
38% |
56% |
Pacific Northwest: This was the strongest November opening in the region in over a decade with multiple storms. Mt. Baker was
fully open for Thanksgiving, while Whistler and Mt. Bachelor attained 4+ foot bases. 2-3 feet of snow fell in the first half of
December, and another 2 feet the week before Christmas. Mt. Bachelor's Dec. 10 Summit opening was the earliest in over a decade. This region
had the most snow (5+ foot bases) by Christmas. During the holiday week it dumped 5 feet in Oregon and 2-3 feet farther north.
Early January snowfall averaged 1.5 feet but conditions were variable after less than a foot the rest of the month. First half of
February snowfall ranged from 2 feet at Whistler to 4 feet in Oregon.
Area |
Season Snow |
Pct. of Normal |
Pct. of Area Open |
Whistler |
222 |
80% |
96% |
Stevens Pass |
266 |
91% |
100% |
Crystal Mt. |
171 |
63% |
92% |
Mt. Hood |
301 |
109% |
90% |
Mt. Bachelor |
295 |
120% |
100% |
Canadian Rockies and Interior B.C.: November snowfall was high from the Northwest storms along the U.S. border and west of the Selkirks
but closer to average farther east. Fernie, Whitewater and the upper half of Revelstoke attained 4+ foot bases. West of Rogers Pass an average 1.5
feet of snow fell during the first half of December, 2 feet more before Christmas, and 1.5-2 feet during the holidays, leaving average bases of 5 feet.
Sun Peaks and Silver Star were 90+% open on 4 foot bases at Christmas, while areas east of Rogers Pass averaged 3 foot bases. Only upper parts of
Revelstoke had more than 1.5 feet of snow during the entire month of January, resulting in widespread hardpack conditions. First half of February
snowfall ranged from less than a foot at the Banff areas to 2-3 feet near the U.S. border.
Area |
Season Snow |
Pct. of Normal |
Pct. of Area Open |
Big White |
158 |
81% |
100% |
Lake Louise |
100 |
88% |
95% |
Sunshine |
113 |
71% |
89% |
Revelstoke |
283 |
113% |
100% |
Kicking Horse |
123 |
74% |
100% |
Red Mt. |
188 |
109% |
100% |
Fernie |
220 |
83% |
90% |
Whitewater |
202 |
79% |
100% |
Castle Mt. |
133 |
72% |
93% |
U. S. Northern Rockies: The Interior Northwest was loaded with snow from the November storms and an excellent holiday
destination with another 3 feet in December before Christmas and 4 foot bases. Lookout Pass opened weekends starting Nov. 9. Farther south
November snowfall was no better than average. Targhee reached full operation in early December but Jackson was very limited until
after a 3 foot storm during the third week of December. 2-3 feet fell during the holiday week to bring excellent skiing to the entire
region by New Year's. Early January snowfall ranged from a foot near the Canadian border to 3+ feet at Big Sky and in the Tetons.
Those same areas had up to 2 feet in mid-January, with less than a foot farther north. Late January snowfall ranged from almost nothing
in the north to up to 9 inches in the Yellowstone and Teton regions. Both early February AR storms were favorable to this region and most
areas got 4 to 5 feet of snow.
Area |
Season Snow |
Pct. of Normal |
Pct. of Area Open |
Grand Targhee |
272 |
89% |
99% |
Jackson Hole |
235 |
94% |
97% |
Whitefish |
131 |
71% |
99% |
Bridger |
172 |
96% |
100% |
Schweitzer |
203 |
107% |
100% |
Lookout Pass |
299 |
103% |
100% |
Brundage |
226 |
132% |
100% |
Sun Valley |
133 |
101% |
95% |
Utah: Utah's November was slightly below average in both snowfall and end of month open terrain. Alta opened more
than half of runs in early December but other areas were very limited with base depths less than 3 feet. December snowfall
before Christmas was less than 2 feet. 3 feet fell during the holiday week, but not much more terrain opened until after
New Year's. Average 2 feet of snow fell in early January. Mid-January snowfall was 2-3 feet in the Cottonwoods and one foot
elsewhere. No more than 6 inches fell in late January. The two AR's in the first half of February dumped 5+ feet in the
Cottonwoods and 3-4 feet elsewhere.
Area |
Season Snow |
Pct. of Normal |
Pct. of Area Open |
Alta |
303 |
97% |
100% |
Snowbird SNOTEL |
246 |
89% |
98% |
Brighton/Solitude |
223 |
79% |
97% |
Park City (mid estimate) |
144 |
79% |
94% |
Snowbasin |
180 |
94% |
95% |
Brian Head |
70 |
39% |
100% |
Northern and Central Colorado: The first snowmaking openings were A-Basin and Keystone Nov. 2. Snowfall was consistent and above
average from late October through mid-November and topped off by 2-3 feet the last week of November, the snowiest November since 2010.
However, December snowfall up to Christmas averaged only one foot, so base depths settled down to less than 3 feet. Up to 2 feet fell
during the holidays, continuing gradual terrain openings. Most areas were close to full operation after 2 feet of early January snow.
Mid-January snow averaged 1.5 feet and late January 6-9 inches. During the first half of February Steamboat, Vail and Winter Park
got 3+ feet of snow while other places averaged 2 feet. Snow from the second AR is still ongoing in this region for the next few days.
Area |
Season Snow |
Pct. of Normal |
Pct. of Area Open |
A-Basin |
155 |
100% |
94 |
Beaver Creek |
171 |
88% |
99% |
Breckenridge |
196 |
95% |
100% |
Copper Mt. |
218 |
131% |
100% |
Keystone |
163 |
114% |
100% |
Loveland |
210 |
94% |
100% |
Steamboat |
210 |
94% |
100% |
Vail |
210 |
99% |
99% |
Winter Park |
201 |
96% |
95% |
Southern and Western Colorado: Wolf Creek opened October 22 on 26 inches of snow and was close to full operation by Nov. 10.
Pajarito, New Mexico opened one top to bottom lift and about 3/4 of terrain Nov. 9 on 44 inches snowfall. But New Mexico had almost
no snow for the next 6 weeks. Aspen and Crested Butte had similar high November snow as the I-70 areas while southern Colorado had less
but was still above average. December snowfall before Christmas was a foot at Aspen but no more than 3 inches farther south.
Aside from Wolf Creek, the Southwest at Christmas had base depths around two feet. Holiday week snowfall averaged 1.5 feet in Colorado
but less than a foot in New Mexico. Early January snowfall ranged from over a foot at areas exposed to northwest flow to just a few inches
in the far Southwest. Crested Butte's North Face opened Jan. 7. Only Aspen and Monarch had as much as a foot of snow in mid-January.
New Mexico finally got 1+ foot in late January but the Colorado areas averaged only 6 inches. First half of February snowfall ranged
from one foot in New Mexico to 2+ feet at Aspen.
Area |
Season Snow |
Pct. of Normal |
Pct. of Area Open |
Aspen/Snowmass |
176 |
118% |
100% |
Gothic Snow Lab |
145 |
71% |
N/A |
Crested Butte |
147 |
97% |
90% |
Monarch |
143 |
85% |
100% |
Telluride |
140 |
86% |
88% |
Purgatory |
105 |
68% |
94% |
Wolf Creek |
138 |
61% |
100% |
Taos |
100 |
66% |
58% |
Northeast: No one opened during a warm October in New England or eastern Canada. November snowmaking was intermittent,
so Nov. 15 Killington opened 3%, Sunday River 2% and Whiteface opened 7% weekends. Some areas missed Thanksgiving openings
with ongoing warm weather in November. The first week of December was colder with 1-3 feet of natural snow. Some trail counts
declined during the second week with mixed precipitation. Northern Vermont had a good Christmas with clear weather
after 1.5 - 2 feet of new snow, but conditions and open terrain degraded with rain Dec. 29-31. January was consistently cold
and often windy, with 6-8 feet of snow in Northern Vermont and 3 feet elsewhere. The bounty contiunued through the first half
of February with 5 feet in Northern Vermont and 2-3 feet elsewhere. However, the current storm will warm up and turn to sleet
or rain by the end of President's weekend. Percents open: Okemo 99%, Hunter 78%, Sunday River 100%,
Sugarloaf 83%, Tremblant 100%, St. Anne 99%.
Area |
Season Snow |
Pct. of Normal |
Pct. of Area Open |
Jay Peak (mid estimate) |
276 |
136% |
100% |
Stowe |
237 |
135% |
99% |
Sugarbush |
201 |
122% |
100% |
Killington |
187 |
123% |
100% |
Stratton |
128 |
109% |
92% |
Whiteface |
139 |
128% |
93% |
Cannon |
124 |
122% |
92% |
Le Massif |
139 |
94% |
91% |
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