Ski USA - California

Welcome to the Ski USA page, providing a regular round-up of the skiing conditions and current snow reports for the main ski resorts in the United States. Over recent years some of the best and consistent piste conditions have been reported at Aspen (Colorado), Alta (Utah), The Canyons (Utah), Winter Park (Colorado), Big Sky (Montana) and Jackson Hole (Wyoming). However, in any given week or season the best slope conditions may be found at a number of other North American resorts so keep an eye on the snow forecasts and reports if you are planning a last minute trip.

For off-piste powder, Alta, Aspen, Big Sky, The Canyons, Winter Park and Loveland have proven among the most consistent in the country over several seasons but check out the reports below for the latest news.

For big snowfalls and accumulated snow depths the Californian resorts of Squaw Valley and Mammoth feature strongly in the records as do the dry powder resorts of Solitude, Alta and Snowbird. Timberline in Oregon also has an enviable snow record.

With more than 500 ski areas spread across some 38 US states, America is one of the world’s leading ski nations, clocking up around 50 million skiers on the slopes each winter.

US ski resorts are spread right across the country from East Coast to West. There are also resorts in Alaska and it’s sometimes possible to ski in Hawaii on the slopes of 4205m high Mauna Kea, although there are no ski lifts there.

You’ll find a great diversity of terrain when you ski USA from the comparatively low lying mountains of New England and the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia to the south, to smaller hills across the MidWestern prairies, to the Rocky Mountains and Sierras on the West. The Rockies stretch over a mile above sea level at resort height in some cases, resulting in almost half of the 20 highest ski lifts in the world being located in Colorado.

What’s common to this diverse selection of ski areas, which range from small private hills owned by schools and military bases to major international resorts like Aspen and Vail famed around the world, is a dedication to high service standards. When you’re skiing USA these include high quality on the slopes with well groomed, normally uncrowded slopes with uplift generally provided by chairlifts, gondolas or cable cars (known as trams in North America) rather than drag lifts. Indeed the chairlift, as well as the hot tub, are both American inventions credited to Sun Valley in Idaho.

Some ski areas in the USA date back the best part of a century. Most were established by pioneers, often on a shoestring budget with just a simple tow lift converted from a car, lorry or even motorbike engine. But decades of gradual growth have led many of these original small, simple set-ups to become major international resorts – Mammoth Mountain in California is a good example of this.

Others were set up by emigrants from the Alps, most famously Cranmore Mountain Resort in New Hampshire which was established with help from Austrian downhill ski technique pioneer Hannes Schneider from the Austrian Arlberg who arrived in the US having refused to join the Nazi propaganda machine when they took over Austria in the 1930s. During the Second World War he helped train the 10th Mountain Division of the U. S. Army, some veterans of which also became resort developers after the war.

Famous resorts like Vail, now the largest ski area in the US, were established later with strong European involvement. Other resorts like Aspen and Breckenridge were former 19th century mining settlements that found a new lease of life when ‘white gold’ was struck.

Along with growth on the mountains, the 1990s and first decade of the current century saw a boom in resort ‘real estate’ developments with hotels, condominiums, shops and restaurants created at the bases of ski slopes which in some cases had previously only had car parks. This period – which slowed dramatically from 2008 due to the global economic situation – led to an era of corporations taking over from individual families, and currently four or five large companies own and operate around 50 leading US resorts between them.

In Eastern North America snowmaking developed in the 1950s and rapidly became an essential requirement at most of the ski areas in the region, leading to it becoming known as “the snowmaking capital of the world.”

In the West of the country, which is best known for its destination resorts particularly in states like California, Utah and Colorado, a major selling point is abundant, deep powder snow which is the norm if not always guaranteed. One of the snowiest places on earth are Alaska and Washington State in the North West of the country where falls of up to 50 feet (16 metres) can be recorded in one winter, more than any other ski region on earth.

Criticisms of US skiing from some, when compared to Europe, is that ski areas are mostly smaller, lift tickets more expensive, spectacular scenery is rare and the resorts and slopes are too sanitised and bland at some of the most corporately run areas. The kind of family run, home-cooking small mountain hut is quite rare in the US where large cafeterias serving fast food are more common. However many of these ‘flaws’ for some are seen as assets by others, which when combined with the other points listed in this article combine to make the US ski experience the best on earth.

And despite the well groomed pistes, many resorts have built reputations for challenging off piste terrain, including Jackson Hole in Wyoming, Alyeska in Alaska and Squaw Valley in California.

The country’s positive attitude to children is also seen as an asset for families in most cases, with children praised for their efforts in nursery and ski school.

The US is also the home of snowboarding with Jake Burton inventing the sport in Vermont in the late 1970s. Stratton there has organised snowboarding contests longer than any other. However the country is also home to three resorts that still ban snowboarding: Alta and Deer Valley, both in Utah, and Mad River Glen in Vermont.
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USA - California: latest snow conditions round-up


USA / Canada

Summary of forecast snowfall and ski conditions for resorts in USA - California. Fresh snow is forecast at 19 resorts. Powder is reported at 0 resorts and 0 are reporting good piste conditions.

All resorts

Ski resorts of USA - California, alphabetically

Resort
snow depth
top and bottom

on-piste

off-piste

Last Snow

Next 9 Days
0–3 | 3–6 | 6–9
snow (cm)
Next 5 days weather forecast.
Freezing level (m)
Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

(1981m — 2164m)

snow report 12 days ago

2.0 cm
13 days ago
4.0
thunderstorm clear part cloud part cloud snow showers
Mid station 2072 m
2900m 3100m 3150m 2800m 1900m

(2177m — 2684m)

snow report yesterday

127
91
Machine Groomed 5 cm
3 days ago
2.0
rain showers rain showers clear clear cloud
Mid station 2430 m
2600m 2900m 3250m 3250m 2750m

(2012m — 2593m)

snow report yesterday

361
295
Machine Groomed 4 cm
7 days ago
60.0
4.0
thunderstorm clear part cloud light snow mod snow
Mid station 2302 m
2950m 2500m 2250m 2200m 1500m

(2179m — 2684m)

snow report 2 days ago

5 cm
3 days ago
4.0
rain showers rain showers clear clear cloud
Mid station 2432 m
2600m 2900m 3250m 3250m 2650m

(2195m — 2378m)

snow report yesterday

475
475
Machine Groomed 5 cm
7 days ago
63.0
3.0
part cloud clear clear light snow mod snow
Mid station 2286 m
3050m 2400m 2250m 2100m 1200m

(2133m — 2652m)

snow report yesterday

229
190
Machine Groomed 2.0 cm
4 days ago
23.0
1.0
rain showers rain showers part cloud part cloud light snow
Mid station 2392 m
2600m 2800m 2750m 2400m 1250m

(2143m — 2655m)

snow report 7 days ago

2.0 cm
7 days ago
20.0
1.0
thunderstorm thunderstorm part cloud cloud light snow
Mid station 2399 m
2950m 2900m 2700m 2350m 1300m

(1859m — 2073m)

snow report 8 days ago

2.0 cm
7 days ago
9.0
1.0
clear part cloud clear light snow snow showers
Mid station 1966 m
3150m 2550m 2100m 1900m 1300m

(2012m — 2499m)

snow report 4 days ago

279
165
Machine Groomed 3.0 cm
7 days ago
44.0
3.0
thunderstorm clear part cloud light rain light snow
Mid station 2256 m
2950m 2700m 2450m 2250m 1550m

(2143m — 2362m)

snow report yesterday

102
102
Machine Groomed 5 cm
7 days ago
61.0
3.0
part cloud clear clear light snow mod snow
Mid station 2252 m
3050m 2400m 2250m 2100m 1200m

(1923m — 2015m)

snow report 7 days ago

2.0 cm
7 days ago
42.0
2.0
part cloud clear clear light rain light snow
Mid station 1969 m
3100m 2500m 2400m 2200m 1300m

(2002m — 3068m)

snow report yesterday

216
216
Machine Groomed 1.0 cm
7 days ago
28.0
clear clear clear part cloud light snow
Mid station 2535 m
3100m 2750m 2600m 2350m 1550m

(1899m — 2402m)

snow report yesterday

216
109
Machine Groomed 3.0 cm
7 days ago
48.0
2.0
thunderstorm clear clear light snow mod snow
Mid station 2150 m
3100m 2500m 2400m 2250m 1300m

(2300m — 3089m)

snow report yesterday

140
75
Packed powder and groomed snow 1.0 cm
4 days ago
20.0
1.0
clear rain showers part cloud clear snow showers
Mid station 2694 m
2900m 3000m 2800m 2350m 1350m

(2377m — 2987m)

snow report yesterday

269
95
Packed powder and groomed snow 3.0 cm
7 days ago
62.0
2.0
thunderstorm clear clear part cloud mod snow
Mid station 2682 m
3050m 2600m 2400m 2250m 1400m

(2424m — 3369m)

snow report yesterday

381
243
Packed powder and groomed snow 1.0 cm
4 days ago
23.0
1.0
rain showers rain showers part cloud clear snow showers
Mid station 2896 m
2900m 2900m 2800m 2300m 1400m

(2012m — 2499m)

snow report 2 days ago

91
61
Hard Pack 2.0 cm
4 days ago
3.0
part cloud rain showers clear clear cloud
Mid station 2256 m
2800m 2950m 3200m 3250m 2300m

(1981m — 2621m)

snow report yesterday

152
102
Machine Groomed 2.0 cm
4 days ago
5.0
part cloud rain showers clear clear cloud
Mid station 2301 m
2750m 2950m 3300m 3200m 2250m

(1676m — 2103m)

snow report yesterday

315
315
Machine Groomed 3.0 cm
7 days ago
15.0
3.0
part cloud light rain part cloud snow showers light snow
Mid station 1890 m
3000m 2300m 2200m 1600m 1100m

(1941m — 2624m)

snow report yesterday

Northstar at Tahoe webcam
276
75
Packed powder and groomed snow 2.0 cm
7 days ago
36.0
2.0
clear clear clear snow showers light snow
Mid station 2282 m
3100m 2550m 2400m 2200m 1300m

(1874m — 2743m)

snow report yesterday

386
120
Packed powder and groomed snow 5 cm
7 days ago
61.0
3.0
thunderstorm clear clear light snow mod snow
Mid station 2308 m
3050m 2400m 2250m 2200m 1200m

(2083m — 2632m)

snow report 6 days ago

5 cm
7 days ago
60.0
3.0
thunderstorm clear clear light snow mod snow
Mid station 2358 m
3050m 2400m 2300m 2200m 1250m

(1768m — 2255m)

snow report 6 days ago

5 cm
7 days ago
61.0
3.0
thunderstorm clear clear light snow mod snow
Mid station 2012 m
3050m 2400m 2250m 2100m 1200m

(2023m — 2697m)

snow report yesterday

312
206
Packed powder and groomed snow 2.0 cm
7 days ago
49.0
2.0
thunderstorm clear part cloud light snow mod snow
Mid station 2360 m
3050m 2600m 2400m 2250m 1350m

(2133m — 2498m)

snow report yesterday

122
61
Machine Groomed 4 cm
3 days ago
3.0
rain showers rain showers clear clear cloud
Mid station 2316 m
2600m 2900m 3250m 3250m 2600m

(2041m — 2389m)

snow report yesterday

122
61
Machine Groomed 3.0 cm
3 days ago
3.0
rain showers rain showers clear clear cloud
Mid station 2215 m
2600m 2900m 3250m 3300m 2400m

(2057m — 2255m)

snow report yesterday

475
475
Machine Groomed 5 cm
7 days ago
60.0
3.0
part cloud clear clear light snow mod snow
Mid station 2156 m
3050m 2400m 2250m 2100m 1200m

(1554m — 1707m)

snow report 6 days ago

3.0 cm
7 days ago
18.0
1.0
thunderstorm part cloud clear light snow light snow
Mid station 1630 m
1300m 1450m 1150m 1450m 1250m

(2098m — 2555m)

snow report yesterday

401
216
Machine Groomed 5 cm
7 days ago
64.0
3.0
part cloud clear clear light snow mod snow
Mid station 2326 m
3050m 2400m 2250m 2100m 1200m

(2042m — 2291m)

snow report 3 days ago

2.0 cm
4 days ago
3.0
clear rain showers clear clear cloud
Mid station 2166 m
2800m 2950m 3200m 3250m 2350m

(2057m — 2240m)

snow report yesterday

137
137
Machine Groomed 4 cm
7 days ago
49.0
2.0
part cloud clear clear light snow mod snow
Mid station 2148 m
3050m 2400m 2250m 2150m 1200m

(2194m — 2438m)

snow report yesterday

3.0 cm
7 days ago
22.0
2.0
thunderstorm rain showers part cloud cloud light snow
Mid station 2316 m
3000m 2850m 2650m 2300m 1500m