Snow Way data study
Powder day odds: which ski resorts get new snow most often
10 seasons of daily weather, 179 North American resorts, one question: how often does it actually snow? We counted every day with an inch or more of new snow, November through April.
Key findings
- Mt. Baker in Washington gets new snow most often: about 78 days with 1 inch or more between November and April, the most of 179 North American resorts.
- February is the snowiest month: across all resorts, 20% of days bring new snow. December averages 18%, and the season starts slowly in November (13%).
- Pacific Northwest resorts average 58 snow days a season, nearly 2.8 times the Northeast's 21.
- In Colorado, Steamboat leads with about 48 snow days a season; in Utah, Solitude leads with 49.
- For December trips, White Pass has the best odds: new snow on 51% of December days.
The 25 resorts with the most snow days
Days with 1"+ of new snow in a typical November to April season.
| # | Resort | Where | Snow days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mt. Baker | Washington | 78 |
| 2 | Stevens Pass | Washington | 76 |
| 3 | White Pass | Washington | 75 |
| 4 | Whistler Blackcomb | British Columbia | 72 |
| 5 | Summit at Snoqualmie | Washington | 70 |
| 6 | Crystal Mountain | Washington | 68 |
| 7 | Mt. Hood Meadows | Oregon | 67 |
| 8 | Timberline | Oregon | 66 |
| 9 | Mount Washington Alpine Resort | British Columbia | 64 |
| 10 | Mt. Bachelor | Oregon | 64 |
| 11 | Grouse Mountain | British Columbia | 62 |
| 12 | Grand Targhee | Wyoming | 60 |
| 13 | Mount Seymour | British Columbia | 58 |
| 14 | Lookout Pass | Idaho | 57 |
| 15 | Hoodoo | Oregon | 55 |
| 16 | Jackson Hole | Wyoming | 55 |
| 17 | Brundage | Idaho | 54 |
| 18 | Boreal | California | 52 |
| 19 | Alyeska | Alaska | 50 |
| 20 | Revelstoke | British Columbia | 50 |
| 21 | Sugar Bowl | California | 50 |
| 22 | Whitewater | British Columbia | 50 |
| 23 | Solitude | Utah | 49 |
| 24 | Steamboat | Colorado | 48 |
| 25 | Tamarack | Idaho | 48 |
By region
| Region | Avg snow days | Leader |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Northwest | 58 | Mt. Baker (78) |
| Utah | 41 | Solitude (49) |
| Northern Rockies | 40 | Grand Targhee (60) |
| Western Canada | 39 | Whistler Blackcomb (72) |
| California and Nevada | 35 | Boreal (52) |
| Colorado | 35 | Steamboat (48) |
| Eastern Canada | 25 | Mont-Sainte-Anne (33) |
| Northeast | 21 | Wildcat Mountain (30) |
| Southwest | 20 | Ski Santa Fe (26) |
| Midwest | 15 | Mount Bohemia (26) |
| Mid-Atlantic and South | 9 | Timberline Mountain (17) |
Month by month
Share of days with new snow, averaged across all 179 resorts. Each month links to its full ranking.
Leader in every state and province
- Washington: Mt. Baker78 days
- British Columbia: Whistler Blackcomb72 days
- Oregon: Mt. Hood Meadows67 days
- Wyoming: Grand Targhee60 days
- Idaho: Lookout Pass57 days
- California: Boreal52 days
- Alaska: Alyeska50 days
- Utah: Solitude49 days
- Colorado: Steamboat48 days
- Montana: Big Sky40 days
- Nevada: Diamond Peak37 days
- Quebec: Mont-Sainte-Anne33 days
- Alberta: Castle Mountain31 days
- New Hampshire: Wildcat Mountain30 days
- Vermont: Jay Peak29 days
- Michigan: Mount Bohemia26 days
- New Mexico: Ski Santa Fe26 days
- Maine: Sugarloaf25 days
- South Dakota: Terry Peak25 days
- New York: Holiday Valley22 days
- Arizona: Arizona Snowbowl21 days
- Ontario: Blue Mountain21 days
- Minnesota: Lutsen Mountains19 days
- West Virginia: Timberline Mountain17 days
- Massachusetts: Jiminy Peak16 days
- Pennsylvania: Seven Springs15 days
- Wisconsin: Granite Peak13 days
- Ohio: Boston Mills/Brandywine10 days
- New Jersey: Mountain Creek9 days
- North Carolina: Beech Mountain8 days
- Tennessee: Ober Mountain7 days
- Virginia: Massanutten4 days
- Indiana: Paoli Peaks4 days
How we measured
- Data: Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5-based), July 2015 to June 2025, mid-mountain elevation; a fresh-snow day is 1 inch or more of modeled snowfall.
- Snow day: any day with 1 inch or more of new snow at the resort's mid-mountain elevation. Season snow days add up November through April.
- Limits: weather models smooth out mountain terrain and undercount snow, so real snow days are likely more frequent than shown. Snowmaking isn't counted. Use the numbers to compare resorts and months, not as exact totals. For resort-reported annual snowfall, see the snowiest ski resorts.
- Free to use: CC BY 4.0. Please link to snowway.app/powder-day-odds.
Powder day questions
Which ski resort gets new snow most often?
Mt. Baker in Washington gets new snow most often: about 78 days with 1 inch or more between November and April, the most of 179 North American resorts.
What is the snowiest month for skiing?
February is the snowiest month: across all resorts, 20% of days bring new snow. December averages 18%, and the season starts slowly in November (13%).
Which region of North America gets the most powder days?
Pacific Northwest resorts average 58 snow days a season, nearly 2.8 times the Northeast's 21.
How was this measured?
We counted days with 1 inch or more of new snow at each resort's mid-mountain elevation in 10 seasons of daily modeled weather (Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5-based), July 2015 to June 2025, mid-mountain elevation; a fresh-snow day is 1 inch or more of modeled snowfall). Weather models undercount mountain snow, so real snow days are likely more frequent; the study is best for comparing resorts and months.
Cite this data
Free to use with a link back. Suggested citation:
Snow Way, "Powder Day Odds: which ski resorts get new snow most often," November 8, 2026, https://snowway.app/powder-day-odds
Licensed CC BY 4.0. Journalists: reach Justin through the about page.