2020-21 Ski Season Summary

The following major weather patterns affected the 2020-21 ski season.
October: Isolated storms started to accumulate a base in the Banff areas in the north and Wolf Creek in the south.
Early November: A moderate storm tracked from Tahoe through Utah into the Southwest.
Mid-November: Two storms hit the Northwest, the first tracking mostly into the Northern Rockies and the second mostly into Canada.
Late November, early December: For about two weeks this was the first of several widespread dry spells that plagued the 2020-21 season.
Mid to Late December: Modest snowfalls were generally not adequate to fully cover areas that did not have a good base before the dry spell, with the exception of snowy microclimates like Targhee and Utah's Cottonwood Canyons.
First half of January: The Northwest got a big dump during the first week but surfaces were degraded by rain the second week. Regions farther south endured another dry spell so many areas remained in partial operation with mediocre conditions. The best conditions were in western Canada, where the border remained closed to foreigners.
Second half of January: The season improved first with a storm through Utah and the Southwest. Then an atmospheric river hit California with 5-8 feet of snow.
First half of February: Continuous storms tracked through the Northwest to the Tetons and northern Utah and Colorado with scattered snow in adjacent regions. A secondary track went into Canada, but areas near the border on both sides remained below average.
Second half of February: Northwest storms continued but on narrower tracks, primarily from Oregon to Utah during the third week, and from Washington to the Northern Rockies during the fourth week.
First half of March: Scattered storms moved through California and Utah, with the last one intensifying in Colorado and the Southwest. Areas farther north were severely dry with widespread spring sonditions.
Second half of March: All regions had decent snowfalls but only Colorado was above average.
Early April: This was the final severe dry spell of 2020-21 with only the Northwest and western Canada seeing as much as a foot of snow.
Mid-April to early May: There were multiple small storms in northern Utah and Colorado but other regions were mostly dry.

2020-21 was distinctly below average, ovarall 84% of normal, though conditions were consistently good from late January through February. Weekend lift lines at many areas were very long during this period due to COVID-19 capacity restrictions. However there were almost no ski area closures in the US and just a few in Canada with the exception of Ontario. 2020-21 was a moderate La Nina season, and snowfall was more favorable in northern regions. However those regions still ended up only about average due to a very dry spring. See 2020-21 Ski Season Analysis.

2020-21  SKI  SEASON  SNOWFALL  SUMMARY  
             
RECORD  HIGH  (10 Years Minimum)   6+ Powder RECORD  HIGH  (10 Years Minimum)    
None            
             
HIGH       HIGH    
None            
             
ABOVE  AVERAGE       ABOVE  AVERAGE    
 Snoqualmie Pass, Wash.   3,000 463 21%        
 Mt. Rainier Paradise, Wash. 5,420 624 26%        
 Jackson Hole, Wyo.   8,250   372 17%        
 Mt. Fidelity (Selkirks), B. C.  6,150 519 22%        
 Lake Louise, Alb.  6,700 207 7%        
 Sunshine Village, Alb.  7,028 277 9%        
 Mt. Bachelor, Ore.   6,350  388 16%        
 Mary Jane at Winter Park, Colo.   10,800      352 13%        
 Whistler Roundhouse, B. C.   6,000       439 19%        
 Alyeska, Alaska  2,750 717 28%        
 Alyeska, Alaska   1,500   524 20%        
 Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore.   5,400 469 22%        
 Mt. Baker, Wash.   4,300 696 30%        
 Keystone, Colo.   11,641 239 9%        
 Castle Mt., Alb.  5,700 319 13%        
 Kicking Horse, B. C.  6,757 252 10%        
             
BELOW  AVERAGE       BELOW  AVERAGE    
 Killington, Vt.  4,142 209 9%    Cannon Mt., N. H. 1,800 124 7%
 Southern California Composite   7,000 - 8,000   125 6%    Waterville Valley, N. H. 3,000  103 6%
 Central Sierra Snow Lab - Boreal, Cal. 7,200  277 13%    Red Mt. 2, B. C.   6,650 166 9%
 Mammoth Mtn, Calif.   9,600 or 8,900 244 12%    June Mtn, Calif.   8,700    174 10%
 Alpine Meadows, Calif.   7,000   250 11%        
 Taos, N. Mex.   11,200 250 10%        
 Grand Targhee, Wyo.   8,200 403 20%        
 Park City 2, Utah   9,300  287 12%        
 Alta, Utah   9.600 487 20%        
 Loveland, Colo.   11,200   276 11%        
 Big White, B. C.  6,200 237 10%        
 Big Sky, Mont.   8,920  283 11%        
 Arapahoe Basin, Colo.   10,820 240 9%        
 Jupiter Bowl, Utah   10,000 325 14%        
 Brundage, Idaho   6,000 244 11%        
 Snowbird Mid-Gad, Utah   9,640 470 19%        
 Arizona Snowbowl 2, Ariz.   10,800 224 11%        
 Red Mt. Pass, Colo.   11,090 278 11%        
 Squaw Valley, Calif.   6,200      181 9%        
 Smuggler's Notch, Vt.   1,600 232 10%        
 Stevens Pass, Wash.   4,061 460 20%        
 Sun Valley, Idaho   8,800  155 6%        
 Snow Basin, Utah   7,700  274 11%        
 Squaw Valley, Calif.   8,000      306 14%        
 Sugar Bowl, Calif.   7,000     290 14%        
 Mt. Rose, Nev.   8,600 180 7%        
 Wolf Creek, Colo.   10,642 357 15%        
 Bridger Bowl, Mont.   7,100     282 12%        
 Aspen Highlands, Colo.   11,100  194 8%        
 Le Massif, Que.  2,600 178 8%        
 Monarch, Colo.    250 10%        
 Crystal Mtn 2, Wash.   6,100 408 18%        
 Solitude 2, Utah   9,400 359 15%        
 Brighton, Utah   9,502 417 17%        
 Snowmass, Colo.  11,000 265 11%        
 Whiteface (Lake Placid), N. Y.  3,660 158 7%        
 Aspen Mtn, Colo.   11,190 196 9%        
 Crested Butte, Colo.   10,150   199 9%        
 Telluride, Colo.   11,170 274 11%        
 Crystal Mtn 1, Wash.   4,400  283 12%        
 Purgatory, Colo.   10,000  209 9%        
 Revelstoke, B.C.  6,429 348 14%        
             
LOW       LOW    
 Mt. Washington, N. H.  6,262 205 7%    Whitewater, B. C.  5,500 209 12%
 Crater Lake (Mt. Bailey), Ore.   6,800 299 13%        
 Sugarloaf, Maine 3,695 100 4%        
 Bear Valley, Calif.  7,750 214 10%        
 Berthoud Pass, Colo.   11,315  248 10%        
 Kirkwood (Carson Pass), Calif.  8,526 266 12%        
 Gothic, Colo. 9,400   194 8%        
 Snowbird Tram Base, Utah   8,100   325 14%        
 Steamboat, Colo.   9,200    262 11%        
 Jay Peak, Vt.  3,000 240 11%        
 Snowshoe, W. V. 4,848 105 5%        
 Sugarbush, Vt.   3,000 178 7%        
 Fernie, B. C.  5,400    272 11%        
 Stratton, Vt.   3,875 132 7%        
 Brian Head, Utah   9,770  218 11%        
 Breckenridge 2, Colo.   12,000 281 10%        
 Vail, Colo.   11,250    242 10%        
 Sierra at Tahoe, Calif.  7,746 229 10%        
 Copper Mtn, Colo.   11,000   206 9%        
 Stowe, Vt.  3,041 218 9%        
 Northstar, Calif.   7,800 169 8%        
 Heavenly Valley, Calif.   10,000    186 8%        
 Sun Peaks, B. C.  6,100 129 5%        
 Beaver Creek, Colo.   11,200 244 10%        
 Whitefish, Mont.   6,700     214 9%        
 Schweitzer, Idaho   4,700   204 9%        
             
RECORD  LOW (10 Years Minimum)       RECORD  LOW (10 Years Minimum)    
None            

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