Industry News
The 2025-26 season is an enigma, with snowstorms and temperatures across the United States not following traditional weather patterns. The current situation for skiing and snowboarding has been flipped upside down. The East has been consistently receiving adequate snow, and more importantly, the temperatures have remained below freezing for months. The West is in the middle of a snow drought, with its worst season in 25 years, as rain and warmer temperatures have made conditions horrible for skiers and snowboarders. Many resorts out west have limited terrain, poor snowpack, and some have even halted their operations completely. With the current poor skiing and snowboarding conditions out West, have skiers and snowboarders made adjustments to their travel plans? It is common for people living in the East to make one or two trips out West throughout the winter, but it is not very common for people living in the West to plan a trip to the East. Midway through the season, one can’t help but wonder if this mindset of West Coast skiers and snowboarders has changed? After reviewing the data, the chances are not likely.
It is quite intriguing to think that West Coast skiers and snowboarders are still willing to go to mountains with limited terrain and poor conditions, when the East is skiing so much better. For example, Hoodoo Ski Area, Oregon, closed indefinitely on Wednesday for a full assessment day as the resort grapples with an exceptionally thin snowpack following a winter marked by severe snow drought across the Pacific Northwest. Mt. Hood Skibowl, Oregon, is also dealing with the reality that Mother Nature has not been cooperating with Western ski resorts this season, and will suspend its ski and ride operations after Sunday night. Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz attributed the downturn primarily to unusually weak early-season snowfall in the western U.S. “We experienced one of the worst early-season snowfalls in the western U.S. in over 30 years, which limited our ability to open terrain and negatively impacted visitation and ancillary spending,” Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, said in a press release.
- Related: NASA: The West Faces Snow Drought
The East Coast conditions have been the best in years, with record-low temperatures and snowfall hitting much of the region. Ski resorts in the East are reporting record numbers, with Jay Peak Resort, Vermont, reporting 310 inches for the season. Stowe, Vermont, is reporting 218 inches, Mount Bohemia, Michigan, is sitting at 181 inches, and Whiteface Mountain, New York, has 145 inches.
Are the conditions in the West as bad as some people are saying? Some Western ski resorts are indeed experiencing a notably tough season, with several major areas sitting well under 100 inches of snowfall to date. For example, in Colorado, resorts like Telluride, Vail Mountain, and Breckenridge have accumulated significantly less snow than normal, as have spots like Park City in Utah. These locations have relied heavily on snowmaking and grooming to keep terrain open, contributing to the widespread perception of a “bad” or “drought” year across much of the central and southern Rockies.
That said, conditions are far from uniform across the West. Several resorts have held up much better, thanks to targeted storms and higher-elevation snow capture. Examples include:
- Tamarack Resort, Idaho: 105 inches
- Winter Park, Colorado: 111 inches
- Alta, Utah: 143 inches
- Palisades Tahoe, California: 154 inches
- Mammoth Mountain, California: 156 inches
Even stronger performers exist farther north and in coastal ranges, with some resorts reporting over 200 inches this season:
- Whistler Blackcomb, BC, Canada: 205 inches
- Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming: 220 inches
- Alyeska Resort, Alaska: 267 inches
Even receiving 105 inches for a season for many ski resorts in the East would be considered a great season. So, are skiers and snowboarders in the West just spoiled, or just used to better conditions? According to data compiled by SnowBrains, 70% of respondents said they would not consider traveling to the East Coast for a trip because of the bad weather out West. That is a large percentage of West Coast skiers who do not want to ski in the East. Some reasons people said that they would not ski in the East were that they have “never skied anywhere in the East, and never will,” a terrible year here…is still better than any year back east,” and “Nope. I’ll go surfing instead.”
However, there were still 30% of people who said that they would give East Coast ski resorts a chance. Those people said things like, “Sure. Why not? Always fun to explore new mountains,” Yeah, I would like to see the East Coast resorts at their best,” and “Yes, I’d go East for sure!”
There has always been the thought that the West is better than the East. The West normally receives more snow, has bigger mountains, more terrain, and gets better powder than the East. Even though the West hasn’t received the snow it usually does by this point of the year, there is still a lot of the 2025-26 ski season left, and one big snow dump out West would change everything. It is still intriguing that most Western skiers and snowboarders are unwilling to travel to the East when it is having one of its best seasons in years, while the West is having one of its worst. Hopefully, Mother Nature will provide colder temperatures and snow, so the West can get back on track and still have a good season.
Powder King closing in on 400″ already…
Many resorts in BC have received above average snowfall.