Best ski resorts in North America (2026-27)
The best ski resorts in North America, ranked by how often it snows, how much snow falls and how much vertical there is: Whistler Blackcomb (British Columbia), Mt. Baker (Washington), and Timberline (Oregon).
How we rank: snow days (40%, 10 seasons of daily weather), resort-reported average snowfall (30%) and vertical drop (30%), each scaled within this list. It doesn't weigh price, crowds or lodging; see the picks below for those angles. Details
Best for…
- Most snow daysMt. Baker · about 78 days of new snow a season
- Most annual snowfallAlyeska · about 650 inches a year (resort-reported)
- Biggest verticalRevelstoke · 5,620 ft from base to summit
- Best for beginnersAspen Snowmass · Buttermilk (Aspen Snowmass), 35% beginner terrain
- Top on the Epic PassWhistler Blackcomb · #1 overall
- Top on the Ikon PassRevelstoke · #4 overall
The top 15
-
1. Whistler Blackcomb British Columbia
Score 84- Snow days
- 72
- Avg snowfall
- 415"
- Vertical
- 5,354 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 40.2"
Epic Pass · best time to ski · where to stay · things to do
-
2. Mt. Baker Washington
Score 77- Snow days
- 78
- Avg snowfall
- 641"
- Vertical
- 1,589 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 21.6"
Independent · best time to ski
-
3. Timberline Oregon
Score 77- Snow days
- 66
- Avg snowfall
- 540"
- Vertical
- 3,590 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 4.4"
Independent · best time to ski
-
4. Revelstoke British Columbia
Score 74- Snow days
- 50
- Avg snowfall
- 413"
- Vertical
- 5,620 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 0.2"
Ikon Pass · best time to ski · where to stay
-
5. Mt. Bachelor Oregon
Score 71- Snow days
- 64
- Avg snowfall
- 462"
- Vertical
- 3,368 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 2.5"
Ikon Pass · best time to ski · where to stay
-
6. Jackson Hole Wyoming
Score 70- Snow days
- 55
- Avg snowfall
- 459"
- Vertical
- 4,139 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 0.0"
Ikon Pass · best time to ski · where to stay · things to do
-
7. Alyeska Alaska
Score 68- Snow days
- 50
- Avg snowfall
- 650"
- Vertical
- 2,500 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 18.1"
Ikon Pass · best time to ski
-
8. Mt. Hood Meadows Oregon
Score 68- Snow days
- 67
- Avg snowfall
- 430"
- Vertical
- 2,777 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 8.0"
Independent · best time to ski
-
9. Stevens Pass Washington
Score 68- Snow days
- 76
- Avg snowfall
- 450"
- Vertical
- 1,784 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 14.4"
Epic Pass · best time to ski
-
10. Summit at Snoqualmie Washington
Score 68- Snow days
- 70
- Avg snowfall
- 435"
- Vertical
- 2,420 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 0.2"
Ikon Pass · best time to ski
-
11. Crystal Mountain Washington
Score 64- Snow days
- 68
- Avg snowfall
- 350"
- Vertical
- 2,602 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 11.2"
Ikon Pass · best time to ski
-
12. Grand Targhee Wyoming
Score 64- Snow days
- 60
- Avg snowfall
- 500"
- Vertical
- 2,230 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 0.0"
Independent · best time to ski · where to stay
-
13. White Pass Washington
Score 64- Snow days
- 75
- Avg snowfall
- 350"
- Vertical
- 2,000 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 7.5"
Independent · best time to ski
-
14. Snowbird Utah
Score 63- Snow days
- 47
- Avg snowfall
- 500"
- Vertical
- 3,240 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 0.0"
Ikon Pass · best time to ski · where to stay
-
15. Steamboat Colorado
Score 61- Snow days
- 48
- Avg snowfall
- 400"
- Vertical
- 3,668 ft
- Snow next 7 days
- 0.0"
Ikon Pass · best time to ski · where to stay · things to do
The other 164 resorts we rank
- Solitude (60)
- Alta (58)
- Mount Washington Alpine Resort (57)
- Telluride (57)
- Big Sky (56)
- Heavenly (56)
- Mount Seymour (56)
- Lookout Pass (55)
- Palisades Tahoe (55)
- Sugar Bowl (55)
- Aspen Snowmass (54)
- Sierra-at-Tahoe (54)
- Beaver Creek (53)
- Vail (53)
- Whitewater (53)
- Fernie (52)
- Mammoth Mountain (52)
- Tamarack (52)
- Brighton (51)
- Park City (51)
- Winter Park (51)
- Beaver Mountain (49)
- Big White (49)
- Breckenridge (49)
- Brundage (49)
- Deer Valley (49)
- Hoodoo (49)
- Kirkwood (49)
- Red Mountain (49)
- Schweitzer (49)
- Snowbasin (49)
- Crested Butte (48)
- Kicking Horse (48)
- Loveland (48)
- Powder Mountain (47)
- Banff Sunshine (46)
- Boreal (46)
- Silver Mountain (46)
- Castle Mountain (45)
- Northstar (45)
- Sun Peaks (44)
- Wolf Creek (44)
- Arapahoe Basin (43)
- Copper Mountain (43)
- Dodge Ridge (43)
- Homewood (43)
- Montana Snowbowl (43)
- Panorama (43)
- Cypress Mountain (42)
- Grouse Mountain (42)
- Keystone (42)
- Whitefish Mountain (42)
- Jay Peak (41)
- Sundance (41)
- Taos Ski Valley (41)
- Bridger Bowl (40)
- Mission Ridge (40)
- Mt. Rose (40)
- China Peak (39)
- Diamond Peak (39)
- Mt. Ashland (39)
- Smugglers' Notch (39)
- Monarch Mountain (38)
- Apex Mountain (37)
- Brian Head (37)
- Discovery (37)
- June Mountain (37)
- Le Massif de Charlevoix (37)
- Purgatory (37)
- Sun Valley (37)
- Sunlight Mountain (37)
- Whiteface (37)
- Killington (36)
- Lake Louise (36)
- Marmot Basin (36)
- Red Lodge Mountain (36)
- SilverStar (36)
- Mt. Spokane (35)
- Snow King (35)
- Sugarbush (35)
- Sugarloaf (35)
- 49 Degrees North (34)
- Eldora (34)
- Mont-Sainte-Anne (34)
- Arizona Snowbowl (33)
- Loon Mountain (33)
- Powderhorn (33)
- Stowe (33)
- Wildcat Mountain (33)
- Bogus Basin (32)
- Cannon Mountain (31)
- Mad River Glen (31)
- Ski Cooper (31)
- Ski Santa Fe (30)
- Bolton Valley (29)
- Bretton Woods (29)
- Mont Tremblant (29)
- Mount Bohemia (29)
- Sunday River (29)
- Angel Fire (28)
- Okemo (28)
- Waterville Valley (28)
- Stratton (27)
- Gore Mountain (26)
- Mount Snow (25)
- Nakiska (24)
- Terry Peak (24)
- Attitash (23)
- Red River (23)
- Holiday Valley (21)
- Magic Mountain (21)
- Sipapu (20)
- Ski Apache (20)
- Snowshoe (20)
- Timberline Mountain (20)
- Blue Mountain (19)
- Hunter Mountain (19)
- Bear Mountain (18)
- Belleayre (18)
- Cranmore (18)
- Gunstock (18)
- Mount Sunapee (18)
- Mountain High (18)
- Mt. Norquay (18)
- Windham Mountain (17)
- Boyne Mountain (16)
- Greek Peak (16)
- Jiminy Peak (16)
- Lee Canyon (16)
- Lutsen Mountains (16)
- Nub's Nob (16)
- The Highlands (16)
- Canaan Valley (15)
- Mount St. Louis Moonstone (15)
- Seven Springs (15)
- Snow Summit (15)
- Crystal Mountain (Michigan) (14)
- Wachusett Mountain (13)
- Montage Mountain (11)
- Pats Peak (11)
- Spirit Mountain (11)
- Elk Mountain (10)
- Granite Peak (10)
- Mountain Creek (10)
- Beech Mountain (9)
- Jack Frost (9)
- Sugar Mountain (9)
- Blue Mountain Resort (8)
- Camelback (8)
- Massanutten (8)
- Shawnee Mountain (8)
- Afton Alps (7)
- Whitetail (7)
- Liberty Mountain (6)
- Ober Mountain (6)
- Wintergreen (6)
- Boston Mills/Brandywine (5)
- Roundtop (5)
- Bear Creek (4)
- Cataloochee (4)
- Wilmot Mountain (4)
- Mad River Mountain (3)
- Perfect North Slopes (2)
- Paoli Peaks (1)
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How we rank
- Snow days (40%): days with 1"+ of new snow, November to April, from our powder day odds study.
- Average snowfall (30%): resort-reported annual totals with sources, from our snowiest ski resorts list.
- Vertical drop (30%): summit minus base elevation.
- Each measure is scaled from the lowest to the highest resort in this list, then weighted. Resorts missing too much data aren't ranked. Price, crowds, terrain mix and lodging aren't scored, so use the picks above and each resort's page for those.
Questions
What is the best ski resort in North America?
Whistler Blackcomb ranks first on Snow Way's score, which combines snow days (10 seasons of weather data), resort-reported annual snowfall and vertical drop. Mt. Baker and Timberline are next.
Which North American ski resort gets the most snow days?
Mt. Baker: about 78 days of new snow a season.
Which North American ski resort gets the most snow?
Alyeska: about 650 inches a year (resort-reported).
Which North American ski resort has the most vertical?
Revelstoke: 5,620 ft from base to summit.
What is the best North American ski resort for beginners?
Aspen Snowmass: Buttermilk (Aspen Snowmass), 35% beginner terrain.
What is the best North American ski resort on the Epic Pass?
Whistler Blackcomb: #1 overall.
What is the best North American ski resort on the Ikon Pass?
Revelstoke: #4 overall.
More lists: Best ski resorts in the US · Best ski resorts in Colorado · Best ski resorts in Utah · Best ski resorts in California · Best ski resorts in Vermont · Best ski resorts on the East Coast
Cite this data
Free to use with a link back. Suggested citation:
Snow Way, "Best ski resorts in North America (2026-27)," November 8, 2026, https://snowway.app/best-ski-resorts-in-north-america
Licensed CC BY 4.0. Journalists: reach Justin through the about page.