The 2023-24 ski season is off to a rocky start in much of the U.S., despite an El Nino weather pattern having promised another snowy winter.
At California resorts, much of December looked more like spring than winter, with T-shirt weather and an absence of snow dominating the landscape below 8,000 feet. Colorado and Utah started with slightly below-average snowfall, while New England was buried by snow early before several historic rainfall events decimated any existing snowpack.
Luckily, the season is turning around, with almost every part of ski country expected to get hit with significant snowstorms during the first half of January.
Of course, conditions and forecasts are constantly changing, but there are a few resorts early-season skiers and snowboarders should check out thanks to natural snowfall, impressive snow-making efforts or a combination of both.
New England
When an early December storm left much of northern New England buried in up to a foot of snow, skiers and riders on the Eastern Seaboard were optimistic for the banner year forecasters had promised. But back-to-back storms in mid-December brought record rainfall and severe flooding to the region, melting away any signs of a strong early ski season.
Related: 9 best ski resorts on the East Coast to plan a trip around this winter
“I was even able to ski in the trees at the start of December without damaging my skis for the first time,” Charlie Peachey, a weather observer and research specialist at the Mount Washington Observatory, told TPG in an email. “But above-average temperatures produced two significant rain storms almost a week apart that decimated the snowpack. I suppose, in true New England fashion, slushy, crusty and grassy trails are better than no trails.”
The rain and flooding caused an uphill battle for New England resorts just ahead of Christmas, but most were able to get at least some of their terrain open.
Cranmore Mountain Resort, New Hampshire
Cranmore, located in North Conway, has struggled this season due to warm temperatures at low elevations. Still, a cold streak just ahead of Christmas allowed the resort to make enough snow to get the mountain going before the rush.
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“We used to say Christmas is the first quarter of the football game, but it might be turning into even less than that,” said Ben Wilcox, Cranmore’s general manager. “We hope to have a strong January and February, and if March cooperates, we can still have a good ski season despite having a marginal Christmas.”
Wilcox hopes the mountain will be at least 50% open for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.
Currently, the mountain is 34% open, with an unimpressive season total of 24 inches. However, a significant snowstorm promises to add to the base depth before switching to rain before the holiday weekend. Wildcat Mountain, which has one of the highest base area elevations in the state, is also a good early-season bet when lower-elevation areas are getting rain.
Jay Peak Resort, Vermont
If there is one mountain on the East Coast that tends to fare better while others struggle, it’s Jay Peak. With a whopping 143 inches so far this season, which exceeds that of even many western resorts like Park City, Jay’s skiers and riders still have reason to be optimistic.
Unfortunately, it couldn’t avert disaster when rain drenched New England ahead of Christmas — it’s still only reporting a 30-inch base depth and less than 40% of the mountain open. But with snow forecast through the week leading to MLK weekend, skiers and riders can expect more skiable terrain in the coming days.
Sugarbush Resort, Vermont
With 75% of its terrain open, Vermont’s Sugarbush currently has more skiable terrain than most other New England resorts. So far, the resort has recorded a season total of 86 inches of snow and a 36-inch base, which is a far cry from Jay Peak’s total, but thanks to recent cold temperatures and impressive snow-making efforts, it’s been able to push to get terrain open.
Mountain states
Like the rest of ski country, resorts across Utah, Colorado, Idaho and Montana have been off to a sluggish start, with rain events and below-average snowfall dominating the headlines.
According to On the Snow, which tracks conditions at ski areas around the world, Colorado is only at 75% of its average snow depth, Utah is at 64% and Idaho is at 55%.
Until the first week of January, ski resorts across Idaho were struggling particularly badly, but the potential for heavy snow in the coming days promises to turn their season around.
“We kept getting these warm storms that brought rain instead of snow — people were having to take their skis and boards off to go around mud spots,” said Steve Stuebner, the Idaho forecaster for OpenSnow. “But all of a sudden, we’re in a situation where it’s going to be epic, with 50 inches in the forecast. It should be one hell of a pow week that’ll be remembered for the rest of the season.”
Related: The best ski resorts in the US for your next trip to the slopes
Schweitzer, Idaho
While Schweitzer doesn’t have quite as much terrain open as some of the other Idaho resorts like Bogus Basin and Pomerelle, it is reporting one of the deeper snowpacks in the state to date.
This is likely to change, with Bogus Basin forecast to get nearly 5 feet of snow in the coming days, but so far, Schweitzer has had decent conditions when compared to some other Idaho resorts. And with 92 named trails on nearly 3,000 acres of terrain, Schweitzer still has more skiable terrain available than most other resorts in the state.
Snowbasin Resort, Utah
Thus far, Utah’s ski season hasn’t looked quite the same as last year’s, when several resorts smashed their annual snowfall records — but most areas are still doing reasonably well compared to other parts of the country.
Snowbasin, which has a 60-inch base depth and 92% of its terrain open, is faring better than many other major U.S. resorts. Alta and Powder aren’t far behind, though. According to OpenSnow, much of the Wasatch Range is forecast to get up to 4 feet through MLK weekend, giving Utah skiers and riders much reason to be optimistic for the rest of the season.
Steamboat, Colorado
In Colorado, many resorts have received enough snow to get the majority of their terrain open despite experiencing below-average snowfall.
Resorts like Wolf Creek and Vail are fully or nearly fully open, but Steamboat is reporting one of the deeper snowpack depths in the state — and it has an impressive 86% of its terrain open.
Related: The 12 best family ski resorts
Much of Colorado, including Steamboat, is forecast to receive several more feet of snow in the coming days, adding to its 146-inch season total so far. Keystone also deserves a notable mention, with its brand-new Berman Express lift offering access to most of Bergman Bowl for a total of 2100 open skiable acres.
California
California’s season is proving to be a stark contrast from last year — as of December, many skiers and riders had yet to put their mountain bikes and trail running shoes away. But a few recent, smaller storms have at least begun to push the season in the right direction.
“The mountains above 8,000 feet did okay through December but were still bony in spots,” Bryan Allegretto, OpenSnow’s California forecaster, told TPG in an email. “We struggled on the lower mountains due to not only below-average snowfall but warmer-than-average storms with a lot of rain.”
According to Allegretto, early January storms finally have the mountains filling in, and he anticipates them to be in much better shape by MLK weekend.
Kirkwood
Kirkwood tends to get less media attention than larger resorts like Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth, but this season, they’re doing better than most of the other ski areas in the state.
Thanks to 84 inches of natural snow combined with snowmaking efforts, Kirkwood has been able to open nearly all of their terrain ahead of MLK weekend. Unfortunately, they haven’t received any of the “classic” multi-foot storms California’s ski areas are known for and they don’t have anything significant in the immediate forecast.
But as every California skier and snowboarder knows, it’s still early in the season!
Mammoth Mountain
In the short term, Mammoth Mountain isn’t expected to get the same snow as Bear Valley and Kirkwood — both of which are forecast to receive over 2 feet over the next handful of days.
But with an average base depth of up to 47 inches and 64% of its 3,500 acres of skiable terrain currently open, it’s still a fairly safe bet for those looking to ski and ride in California this winter. Mammoth also boasts the highest-elevation lift-accessed terrain in the state, so it can be a reliable resort when lower elevations are getting rain.
Pacific Northwest
This year, the Pacific Northwest has been struggling more than other parts of the U.S., with average snowfall currently at less than half of what it typically is this time of year. Many resorts barely have 20% of their terrain open, although there are a few that are doing significantly better than the rest of the region.
Stevens Pass, Washington
With a 72-inch base depth, a season total of 132 inches so far and multiple feet of snow forecast to continue falling into the MLK holiday, Stevens Pass is looking to have a much more promising season than other resorts in the Pacific Northwest.
And while it is getting more snow and expected to have better conditions than other resorts in the area, it’s important to note that the resort is largely a day-use ski area — there is no on-site lodging or extensive restaurant options like at other Vail-owned resorts, such as Park City and Breckenridge.
Thanks to the natural snowfall received so far this season, Stevens Pass has been able to open over 80% of its named pistes, and that will likely increase over the next few days.
Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon
Despite a slow start in the Pacific Northwest, it has finally started snowing at Mt. Hood Meadows and it doesn’t look like it will be stopping anytime soon.
Currently, the mountain has approximately 75% of its named runs open, thanks to the multiple feet of snow that fell this week. With several more feet in the forecast, conditions at the resort will only improve.
To date, Mt. Hood Meadows has received 74 inches for the season, which is significantly below average for this time of year. But now that the snow has finally begun, skiers and riders heading to Mt. Hood Meadows have plenty to look forward to.
The bottom line
Much of ski country in the U.S. (save for Alaska, which almost always does well) has started slowly, with challenging conditions plaguing resorts from coast to coast. But with snowstorms finally hitting many mountainous areas, things are taking a turn for the better.
The East and West coasts are still struggling the most, although recent storms are finally filling in much of the terrain. Currently, skiers and riders will likely find the best conditions at ski areas in Colorado, Utah and Idaho. But with conditions constantly changing, it’s important to check forecasts and snow reports before committing to plans.
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