Any guesses for which resorts made the top nine? | Credit: SnowBrains
All data was pulled from each resort’s website as of March 2024.
It’s no secret that the West is the snowiest region in North America. Cold fronts come down from the Gulf of Alaska, hit our North-South oriented mountain ranges, and orographic lifting does the rest. There are 10 ski resorts in the west that average over 500” of snow. Alyeska and Baker average over 600″ of snow per year.
LARGEST SNOWFALL AVERAGES IN NORTH AMERICA:
#9: Jackson Hole, WY: 458 inches (1,163cm) – All-time record: 595 inches (1,511cm) during the 2022-23 season
With tons of snow, challenging terrain, amazing backcountry, and one of the largest vertical drops in North America, Jackson Hole is a living legend for a reason. | Credit: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
#8: Sierra-at-Tahoe, CA: 460 inches (1,168cm) – All-time record: 685 inches (1,740cm) during the 2022-23 season
Credit: Sierra-at-Tahoe
#8: Stevens Pass, WA: 460 inches (1,168cm)
Credit: Stevens Pass
#7: Shames Mountain, BC: 480 inches (1,219cm)
Located outside of the remote northern BC town of Prince Rupert near the British Columbia-Alaskan border, this is a resort that most people have never heard of and will never venture to. | Credit: Shames Mountain
#7: Whitewater, BC: 480 inches (1,219cm)
Known for challenging bowls, steep glades, and some of the deepest powder in Canada, Whitewater is a hidden gem in the Canadian Rockies. | Credit: Whitewater
#6: Powder King, BC: 492 inches (1,250cm)
Another remote British Columbia resort located in the northern Rocky Mountains, if you were to drive here from Vancouver, it would take over 11 hours. | Credit: Powder King
#5: Brighton, UT: 500 inches (1,270cm) – All-time record: 765 inches (1,943cm) during the 2022-23 season
Credit: Brighton Ski Resort
#5 – Grand Targhee, WY: 500 inches (1,270cm)
Grand Targhee’s views are just as impressive as their snow totals. | Credit: Grand Targhee
#5 – Pomerelle Mountain, ID: 500 inches (1,270cm)
The snowiest ski resort in Idaho may be small at 22 trails served by 3 lifts, but it packs a punch. | Credit: Pomerelle Mountain
#5 – Powder Mountain, UT: 500 inches (1,270cm)
The second-largest ski resort in North America also lives up to its name in terms of snowfall. | Credit: Powder Mountain
#5 – Snowbird, UT: 500 inches (1,270cm) – All-time record: 838 inches (2,129cm) during the 2022-23 season
Snowbird, also heralded as one of the most challenging ski resorts in North America, has steep terrain paired with ridiculous side-country and is one of the closest ski areas to Salt Lake City, UT. | Credit: Snowbird
#5 – Solitude, UT: 500 inches (1,270cm) – All-time record: 800 inches (2,032cm) during the 2022-23 season
Solitude, like many ski areas across North America, saw a record-shattering snowfall year during the recent 2022-23 season. | Credit: Solitude
#5 – Sugar Bowl, CA: 500 inches (1,270cm)
Although the entire Lake Tahoe region is known for seeing massive amounts of snowfall, Sugar Bowl takes the crown for the most out of the dozen resorts in the region. | Credit: Sugar Bowl
#4 – Alta, UT: 546 inches (1,387cm) – All-time record: 903 inches (2,294cm) during the 2022-23 season
The snowiest ski resort in Utah. | Credit: Alta Ski Area
#3 – Timberline Lodge, OR: 550 inches (1,397cm)
Timberline Lodge gets so much snow and is located at a high enough elevation that they operate year-round, offering some of the best summer skiing on the continent. | Credit: Timberline Lodge
#2 – Alyeska Resort, AK: 656 inches (1,666cm) – All-time record: 978 inches (2,484cm) during the 2011-12 season
Alyeska, AK, is the biggest ski resort in Alaska and is located less than an hour outside of Anchorage. | Credit: Alyeska
#1 – Mt. Baker, WA: 666 inches (1,692cm) – All-time record (also a world record): 1,140 inches (2,896cm) during the 1998-99 season
Mt. Baker takes the title of the snowiest resort in North America. | Credit: Mt. Baker
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