The following major weather patterns affected the ski
season.
October to Thankgiving: One major storm starting late October hit the Sierra and Wasatch at high elevation.
Elsewhere snowfall was no more than half normal and Thanksgiving skiing was very limited.
late November through mid-December: Starting Thanksgiving weekend localized storms in Colorado
caught up the early November shortfall. The middle two weeks of December strong storms hit Oregon, California,
Utah and the Southwest with average amounts farther north in Colorado and Wyoming. Farther north skiing was still
very restricted going into Christmas.
Christmas to early January: The storm track moved north into the Pacific Northwest and northern Canada. But it
was not as strong as the mid-December storms. Oregon, Utah and the Tetons were in an overlapping range of both storm
tracks.
Mid-January: The entire West was under high pressure for about 10 days. High altitude areas with above average
bases held up well, while some surfaces deteriorated elsewhere.
Late January to mid-February: Storm pattern was very similar to mid-December, strongest in California, Utah
and western Colorado, with more moderate amounts in in Oregon, Wyoming and north/central Colorado. Washington, Montana
and western Canada had only scattered snow and fell farther behind.
Late February to mid-March: As in December the main storm track moved north and decreased in intensity. It was only
at this time than some western Canadian areas attained complete coverage. Other regions were not dry but below average.
Late March and April: The storm track focused and intensified, tracking mainly through Oregon, then spreading into
the Rockies, but particularly Utah, which had record snow over a 3+ week period. Intensity decreased in Colorado,
but snowfall there was still above average. Spring snowfall was average north of this track and below average to the south.
For more detail on snow incidence by month and region, see 2008-09 Ski Season Analysis.
| 2008-09 SKI SEASON SNOWFALL SUMMARY | |||||||
| RECORD HIGH (10 Years Minimum) | 6+ Powder | RECORD HIGH (10 Years Minimum) | 6+ Powder | ||||
| None | |||||||
| HIGH | HIGH | ||||||
| Alta, Utah 8,650 | 696 | 28% | Schweitzer, Idaho 4,700 | 268 | Dec.-Mar. | 16% | |
| Mammoth Mtn, Calif. 9,600 or 8,900 | 481 | 23% | |||||
| Mt. Bachelor, Ore. 6,350 | 527 | 26% | |||||
| Steamboat, Colo. 9,200 | 469 | 22% | |||||
| Snowshoe, W. V. 4,848 | 194 | 7% | |||||
| Monarch, Colo. | 352 | 16% | |||||
| ABOVE AVERAGE | ABOVE AVERAGE | ||||||
| Killington, Vt. 4,142 | 283 | 12% | Crystal Mtn 1, Wash. 4,400 | 316 | Dec.-Mar. | 19% | |
| Stowe, Vt. 3,950 | 238 | 10% | Purgatory, Colo. 10,000 | 236 | Dec.-Mar. | 14% | |
| Mt. Rainier Paradise, Wash. 5,420 | 660 | 31% | Crystal Mtn 2, Wash. 6,100 | 370 | Dec.-Mar. | 22% | |
| Crater Lake (Mt. Bailey), Ore. 6,800 | 442 | 21% | Red Mt. 2, B. C. 6,650 | 207 | Dec.-Mar. | 12% | |
| Sugarloaf, Maine 3,695 | 186 | 9% | Castle Mt., Alb. 5,700 | 207 | Dec.-Mar. | 12% | |
| Jackson Hole, Wyo. 8,250 | 413 | 18% | |||||
| Bear Valley, Calif. 7,750 | 413 | 22% | |||||
| Lake Louise, Alb. 6,700 | 165 | 6% | |||||
| Snowbird, Utah 10,000 | 522 | 22% | |||||
| Gothic, Colo. 9,400 | 412 | 18% | |||||
| Southern California Composite 7,000 - 8,000 | 138 | 8% | |||||
| Mary Jane at Winter Park, Colo. 10,800 | 377 | 16% | |||||
| Cannon Mt., N. H. 1,800 | 178 | 9% | |||||
| Grand Targhee, Wyo. 8,200 | 556 | 24% | |||||
| Park City 2, Utah 9,300 | 361 | 15% | |||||
| Sugarbush, Vt. 3,000 | 287 | 14% | |||||
| Jupiter Bowl, Utah 10,000 | 444 | 19% | |||||
| Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore. 5,400 | 542 | 26% | |||||
| Squaw Valley, Calif. 6,200 | 293 | 16% | |||||
| Smuggler's Notch, Vt. 1,600 | 341 | 17% | |||||
| Vail, Colo. 11,250 | 429 | 19% | |||||
| Snow Basin, Utah 7,700 | 403 | 20% | |||||
| Sun Valley, Idaho 8,800 | 199 | 9% | |||||
| Copper Mtn, Colo. 11,000 | 320 | 14% | |||||
| Squaw Valley, Calif. 8,000 | 474 | 24% | |||||
| Waterville Valley, N. H. 3,000 | 167 | 8% | |||||
| Breckenridge, Colo. 11,100 | 297 | 14% | |||||
| Bridger Bowl, Mont. 7,100 | 343 | 14% | |||||
| Whiteface (Lake Placid), N. Y. 3,660 | 185 | 10% | |||||
| Wolf Creek, Colo. 10,642 | 411 | 21% | |||||
| Brighton/Solitude, Utah 9,400 | 539 | 25% | |||||
| Northstar, Calif. 7,800 | 320 | 17% | |||||
| Le Massif, Que. 2,600 | 250 | 11% | |||||
| Beaver Creek, Colo. 11,200 | 392 | 18% | |||||
| Crested Butte, Colo. 10,150 | 315 | 17% | |||||
| Telluride, Colo. 11,170 | 330 | 13% | |||||
| Aspen Mtn, Colo. 11,190 | 269 | 12% | |||||
| Aspen Highlands, Colo. 11,100 | 308 | 13% | |||||
| Snowmass, Colo. 11,000 | 329 | 15% | |||||
| Red Mt. Pass, Colo. 11,090 | 349 | 13% | |||||
| BELOW AVERAGE | BELOW AVERAGE | ||||||
| Central Sierra Snow Lab - Boreal, Cal. 7,200 | 361 | 19% | |||||
| Mt. Washington, N. H. 6,262 | 220 | 8% | |||||
| Mt. Fidelity (Selkirks), B. C. 6,150 | 402 | 17% | |||||
| Alpine Meadows, Calif. 7,000 | 358 | 20% | |||||
| Whistler Base, B. C. 2,200 | 147 | 7% | |||||
| Sunshine Village, Alb. 7,028 | 218 | 9% | |||||
| Taos, N. Mex. 11,200 | 248 | 11% | |||||
| Kirkwood (Carson Pass), Calif. 8,526 | 455 | 25% | |||||
| Whistler Roundhouse, B. C. 6,000 | 350 | 15% | |||||
| Loveland, Colo. 11,200 | 338 | 13% | |||||
| Jay Peak, Vt. 3,000 | 302 | 14% | |||||
| Alyeska, Alaska 1,400 | 467 | 18% | |||||
| Arapahoe Basin, Colo. 10,820 | 294 | 9% | |||||
| Stratton, Vt. 3,875 | 185 | 8% | |||||
| Mt. Baker, Wash. 4,300 | 548 | 29% | |||||
| Okemo, Vt. 3,300 | 158 | 8% | |||||
| Arizona Snowbowl 2, Ariz. 10,800 | 203 | 10% | |||||
| Arizona Snowbowl 1, Ariz. 9,500 | 132 | 6% | |||||
| Brian Head, Utah 9,770 | 263 | 11% | |||||
| Mt. Rose, Nev. 8,600 | 284 | 13% | |||||
| Keystone, Colo. 11,641 | 202 | 9% | |||||
| Big Mountain, Mont. 6,700 | 294 | 14% | |||||
| Whitewater, B. C. 5,500 | 352 | 17% | |||||
| LOW | LOW | ||||||
| Big White, B. C. 6,200 | 184 | 7% | Sun Peaks, B. C. 6,100 | 112 | Dec.-Mar. | 6% | |
| Fernie, B. C. 5,400 | 256 | 13% | |||||
| RECORD LOW (10 Years Minimum) | RECORD LOW (10 Years Minimum) | ||||||
| None | |||||||
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