Top 9 States with the Best Snow Quality When it comes to skiing and snowboarding, not all snow is created equal. The best days on the mountain usually come down to one key factor: snow quality. Light, dry powder offers the smoothest turns, the softest landings, and the kind of float that makes every run feel like a dream. While snowfall totals get most of the attention, the […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 14, 2025 0 Comments
Where Will it Be Deep This Week? These are the Southern Hemisphere’s Top 5 Forecasted Resorts for the Next 10 Days It’s always snowing somewhere, and fresh snow is the essence of skiing and snowboarding. Whether you are chasing the deepest conditions or love seeing where the snow is piling up so you can live vicariously through others, these resorts will receive the most over the next week and beyond. The forecast comes from OpenSnow’s Top Forecasts for the next 10 days for every […] Weather WeatherBrains | July 12, 2025 0 Comments
Why Does It Snow So Much in Utah? Big Cottonwood Canyon (Brighton and Solitude) and Little Cottonwood Canyon (Alta and Snowbird) resorts are world-renowned ski destinations, and Utah is said to have the “Greatest Snow on Earth”. At first, this may seem odd and, frankly, a bold statement for a state probably better known for desert towers and slot canyons. So let’s unpack the claim and better understand what makes Utah powder so […] Weather John Solder | July 12, 2025 4 Comments
[FOR SALE] Rare Opportunity to Own a Cat Ski Operation in the Legendary Monashee Mountains of British Columbia If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own backcountry ski operation in the heart of British Columbia’s snowiest mountains, this might be your shot. Powder Renegade Lodge, a cat skiing operation tucked deep in the Monashee Mountains, is now for sale. With its combination of unmatched terrain, reliable snowfall, and full infrastructure already in place, it’s being billed as a […] Industry News Brent Thomas | July 9, 2025 0 Comments
Where Will it Be Deep This Week? These are the Southern Hemisphere’s Top 5 Forecasted Resorts for the Next 10 Days It’s always snowing somewhere, and fresh snow is the essence of skiing and snowboarding. Whether you are chasing the deepest conditions or love seeing where the snow is piling up so you can live vicariously through others, these resorts will receive the most over the next week and beyond, hopefully setting them up for a successful winter. This week, Australia dominates the list as […] Weather WeatherBrains | July 6, 2025 0 Comments
Scientists Uncover the Ideal Conditions Causing Big Champagne Powder® Days at Steamboat, CO: ‘Speedy Snowflakes’ Scientists at Storm Peak Laboratory in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, analyzed 45 years of snowstorm data to pinpoint what drives Steamboat Resort’s biggest powder days. They conclude that extreme snowfall—those top 5% events—requires a specific atmospheric recipe of cold temperatures, northwest storm tracks, and strong winds. “These are the days everyone remembers,” Gannet Hallar, Ph.D., director of Storm Peak Lab and […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 2, 2025 0 Comments
Where Will it Be Deep This Week? These are the Southern Hemisphere’s Top 5 Forecasted Resorts for the Next 10 Days It’s always snowing somewhere, and fresh snow is the essence of skiing and snowboarding. Whether you are chasing the deepest conditions or love seeing where the snow is piling up so you can live vicariously through others, these resorts will receive the most over the next week and beyond, hopefully setting them up for a successful winter. More resorts are opening as the […] Weather WeatherBrains | June 29, 2025 0 Comments
Top 5 Best Ski Counties in the United States There are countless great skiing and snowboarding locations across the United States. Some counties, however, pull far above their weight when it comes to quality and quantity of snow, elevation, access to great inbounds and backcountry terrain, vibrant après scene, accessibility from major airports, and of course number of ski resorts. From coast to coast, we’ve compiled a list using […] Brains Joseph Kaufmann | June 23, 2025 0 Comments
[VIDEO] Mt. Hood Jake’s Japow 2025 Director’s Cut Powder Edit Japan continually lives up to its lofty “powder paradise” reputation, with super fun trees and unreal snow quality. But a pow safari to Japan is so much more than that. A welcoming culture, delicious food, relaxing onsens, beautiful natural landscapes, and superb wildlife are just a few of the attractions. As well as the good times to be had […] SnowBrains | June 23, 2025 0 Comments
Where Will it Be Deep This Week? These are the Southern Hemisphere’s Top 5 Forecasted Resorts for the Next 10 Days It’s always snowing somewhere, and fresh snow is the essence of skiing and snowboarding. Whether you are chasing the deepest conditions or love seeing where the snow is piling up so you can live vicariously through others, these resorts will receive the most over the next week and beyond, hopefully setting them up for a successful winter. More resorts are opening as […] Weather WeatherBrains | June 21, 2025 0 Comments
17 Not So Obvious Bucket List Experiences for Skiers and Snowboarders in the U.S. Most skiers and riders have a mental list of the usual bucket list items, such as visiting specific resorts or finally going heli-skiing. However, the mountains are full of lesser-known gems that only locals may know about, which can be just as memorable. From riding special lifts, conquering challenging runs, or basking in unique moments, the not-so-obvious experiences often turn […] Brains Brent Thomas | June 20, 2025 0 Comments
7 Ways to Up Your Game as a Resort Skier Resort skiing is awesome, no matter how you look at it. Chairlifts that float you up the mountainside, hot laps with friends, ski patrol doing all the work so you don’t have to worry about avalanches—skiing inbounds is a vibe, and if you’re like me, you might do it a lot. But if you’re also like me, then you’re constantly […] Brains Martin Kuprianowicz | June 15, 2025 6 Comments
The Snowiest Resort From Each U.S. State During the 2024-25 Season As lovers of the sport, we obsess over snowfall totals, and every ski season brings a new set of snowfall stats, with the 2024-25 winter being no exception. While the usual heavy hitters mostly lived up to their reputations, a few unexpected contenders racked up big totals too. We took a look at the snowiest ski resort in each U.S. […] Industry News Brent Thomas | June 11, 2025 0 Comments
Eastern Sierra, CA, Report: Steep, Well-Walled, & Short | The Lower Lamarck Lake Chutes Report from May 27, 2025 My last day of backcountry skiing for the season was in the Lower Lamarck Lake Chutes. Lee and I set off at a casual 7:00 a.m. from Mammoth, and we were hiking by around 8:30 a.m. We walked the trail to the lake, then had to route-find around the lake, where we finally encountered snow […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | June 1, 2025 0 Comments
Mammoth Mountain, CA, Report: Memorial Day Weekend Radness! Report from May 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 2025 The past week at Mammoth has been fire. Groomers are good. Wiggles are good, and new ones are forming all the time. Bumps are good. Off-piste skiing is exceptional—especially on Cornice & Chair 23. I’ve been riding my new e-dirt bike to the mountain each day, and it makes every […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 29, 2025 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Going for the D-Spin 720º at 47-Years-Old View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) Report from May 25, 2025 I woke up at 1 am last night and everything was so clear. I’d wake up at 5:45 am, drive to Palisades Tahoe, land the D-Spin 720, and roll back down to Mammoth for Tall Carl’s party. Tahoe had been off the table because […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
9 Ski Resorts That Offer Adjacent Cat Skiing in the U.S. For those looking for untouched powder and a remote backcountry experience, it is hard to beat cat skiing. As a cheaper alternative to heli-skiing, it gives guests the thrill of exploring endless terrain without the crowds or lift lines of resort skiing. Conveniently, some resorts offer a cat skiing operation attached to the ski area so guests can experience the […] Brains Brent Thomas | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
Trip Report: 13,994′ Mt. Humphreys, CA | “Northeast Couloir” With A Crew of 9 Report from May 23, 2025 Mt. Humphreys is one of 4 Eastern Sierra peaks on my wedding ring. I’d skied one of the east chutes last year. It was time to go back for the classic Northeast Chute. But I wasn’t alone. We were a huge crew of 9 marauding uphill. 13,996′ Mt. Humphreys “Northeast Couloir” Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
9 Resorts to Visit Before You Die, According to SnowBrains Readers Last January, we asked our readers what resorts they thought everyone should visit before they die. The following list is based entirely on readers’ responses to what resort they think skiers and riders need to visit before their final day comes. It’s sure to be an expensive trip all over the world, but according to SnowBrains readers, these resorts are […] Brains Tyler Hatch | May 23, 2025 3 Comments
Trip Report: “South Fork Bowl” – Skiing 3,400-Vertical-Feet on Peak 13,103 in Big Pine, California Report from May 19, 2025 Garrett told us we had to go down to Big Pine and ski Peak 13,103 next to Kid Mountain. He said it was only a 2-mile dirt walk, then snow all the way. What I didn’t realize is that it would be a 3,300-vertical-foot bootpack… Peak 13,103, CA – South Fork Bowl Details Summit (actually […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 20, 2025 0 Comments