Avalanche
A slab of unstable snow broke away today, causing a small avalanche on The Wall at Holiday Valley Ski Resort, located in Western New York. The ski resort is located approximately one hour south of Buffalo, New York, and gets frequently hit with lake effect snow from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario just to the north and South of Holiday Valley.
The Wall is one of the steepest runs in the East, with a slope steepness between 35 and 39 degrees. A slab of snow on The Wall broke away and slid down the double diamond slope, with no reports of anyone being injured and no damage to any infrastructure at the resort. The resort has received 62 inches of snow this season as of Monday, and the National Weather Service forecasts heavy snow over parts of the Lakes Erie and Ontario coastline on Monday night into Tuesday.
Due to The Wall’s steepness (even though it is short in length), it is steep enough to sometimes avalanche. This has happened in the past on The Wall. The climate where Holiday Valley is located can sometimes freeze and then thaw, causing fresh snow to accumulate on the frozen hard-packed snow, which can causes slabs to break loose.
Although inbound avalanches are rare, when they happen they usually occur in Western ski resorts like those in California, Utah, or Montana where it snows deep and often. The Holiday Valley slide is a reminder that avalanches can still occur in the East.
Holiday Valley officially opened the 2025-2026 season 10 days ago on Friday, December 5, with a total of 31 inches of snowfall at that time. It has received an additional 31 inches since then, with more snow forecasted this week. With prime ski conditions and more snow on the way, Holiday Valley continues to offer excellent skiing and riding this season. Visitors are encouraged to check the resort’s snow report and trail status for the latest updates.
The Wall is a joke of a hill. That chair lift is only there to get people from their condos to the main central area. I’ve skied it only 4 times in my life and it’s a terrible hill. Alway too icy to ski. The Avalanche occurred because they made snow on it too early when the ground is too soft yet and not frozen. Holiday Valley should know better.