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 1 resorts and 6 are reporting good piste conditions.

All resorts

Best powder (1)Best piste conditions (6)

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)
Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon

(1981m — 2164m)

snow report 3 days ago

1.0 cm
4 days ago
22.0
2.0
1.0
rain showers light snow snow showers light snow part cloud
Mid station 2072 m
2050m 1900m 1500m 1400m 1650m

(2177m — 2684m)

snow report 3 days ago

1.0 cm
4 days ago
22.0
10.0
clear clear mod snow mod snow clear
Mid station 2430 m
3000m 2400m 1400m 1400m 1650m

(2012m — 2593m)

snow report 2 days ago

27 cm
yesterday
54.0
13.0
39.0
light snow mod snow light snow light snow part cloud
Mid station 2302 m
1000m 800m 1250m 1050m 950m

(2179m — 2684m)

snow report 3 days ago

1.0 cm
4 days ago
26.0
12.0
clear clear heavy snow mod snow clear
Mid station 2432 m
2900m 2250m 1300m 1350m 1500m

(2195m — 2378m)

snow report 2 days ago

26 cm
yesterday
52.0
6.0
35.0
light snow mod snow mod snow snow showers part cloud
Mid station 2286 m
1050m 1100m 1350m 800m 600m

(2133m — 2652m)

snow report today

229
190
Powder 5 cm
yesterday
47.0
9.0
26.0
snow showers mod snow light snow light snow snow showers
Mid station 2392 m
1450m 1250m 750m 800m 1150m

(2143m — 2655m)

snow report 2 days ago

6 cm
yesterday
52.0
5.0
28.0
light snow light snow snow showers light snow snow showers
Mid station 2399 m
1700m 1450m 850m 1000m 1050m

(1859m — 2073m)

snow report 3 days ago

7 cm
yesterday
14.0
4.0
snow showers light snow light snow part cloud clear
Mid station 1966 m
1150m 1200m 1450m 1000m 950m

(2012m — 2499m)

snow report yesterday

279
165
Machine Groomed 16 cm
yesterday
46.0
11.0
32.0
snow showers mod snow light snow light snow clear
Mid station 2256 m
1300m 1300m 1100m 1050m 1050m

(2143m — 2362m)

snow report yesterday

102
102
Machine Groomed 25 cm
yesterday
52.0
6.0
35.0
light snow mod snow mod snow snow showers part cloud
Mid station 2252 m
1100m 1100m 1350m 750m 550m

(1923m — 2015m)

snow report 3 days ago

17 cm
yesterday
43.0
6.0
29.0
light snow light snow light snow snow showers part cloud
Mid station 1969 m
1150m 1200m 1400m 1000m 800m

(2002m — 3068m)

snow report 3 days ago

215
80
Packed powder and groomed snow 16 cm
yesterday
38.0
7.0
22.0
snow showers light snow mod snow snow showers clear
Mid station 2535 m
1200m 1300m 1550m 1500m 1400m

(1899m — 2402m)

snow report 3 days ago

216
109
Machine Groomed 19 cm
yesterday
51.0
7.0
35.0
light snow mod snow mod snow snow showers cloud
Mid station 2150 m
1100m 1150m 1400m 1100m 900m

(2300m — 3089m)

snow report 3 days ago

140
65
Packed powder and groomed snow 9 cm
yesterday
39.0
10.0
24.0
snow showers light snow snow showers mod snow clear
Mid station 2694 m
1450m 1150m 1000m 1050m 1150m

(2377m — 2987m)

snow report yesterday

292
277
Packed Powder 29 cm
yesterday
58.0
13.0
39.0
light snow mod snow mod snow light snow clear
Mid station 2682 m
900m 750m 1250m 900m 800m

(2424m — 3369m)

snow report yesterday

368
234
Packed Powder 10 cm
yesterday
49.0
9.0
29.0
snow showers light snow snow showers light snow clear
Mid station 2896 m
1600m 1050m 1000m 1050m 1150m

(2012m — 2499m)

snow report yesterday

91
61
Machine Groomed 1.0 cm
4 days ago
29.0
7.0
clear clear light snow light snow part cloud
Mid station 2256 m
2550m 1950m 1500m 1550m 1950m

(1981m — 2621m)

snow report 3 days ago

152
102
Machine Groomed 2.0 cm
4 days ago
32.0
10.0
clear clear mod snow light snow part cloud
Mid station 2301 m
2500m 1800m 1450m 1500m 1900m

(1676m — 2103m)

snow report yesterday

15 cm
yesterday
7.0
6.0
light snow light snow light snow light snow clear
Mid station 1890 m
1100m 1000m 1450m 1400m 1650m

(1941m — 2624m)

snow report today

Northstar at Tahoe webcam
300
203
Packed Powder 17 cm
yesterday
45.0
7.0
27.0
light snow light snow mod snow snow showers clear
Mid station 2282 m
1200m 1350m 1450m 1050m 800m

(1874m — 2743m)

snow report yesterday

396
117
Packed Powder 25 cm
yesterday
57.0
7.0
39.0
light snow mod snow mod snow snow showers part cloud
Mid station 2308 m
1100m 1100m 1300m 600m 400m

(2083m — 2632m)

snow report 2 days ago

25 cm
yesterday
58.0
7.0
40.0
light snow mod snow mod snow snow showers part cloud
Mid station 2358 m
1100m 1100m 1350m 700m 500m

(1768m — 2255m)

snow report 2 days ago

21 cm
yesterday
43.0
5.0
30.0
light snow mod snow light snow snow showers part cloud
Mid station 2012 m
1050m 1100m 1350m 850m 700m

(2023m — 2697m)

snow report yesterday

323
216
Packed Powder 21 cm
yesterday
47.0
8.0
32.0
light snow mod snow mod snow light snow clear
Mid station 2360 m
950m 950m 1200m 1050m 950m

(2133m — 2498m)

snow report 3 days ago

1.0 cm
4 days ago
23.0
11.0
clear clear mod snow mod snow part cloud
Mid station 2316 m
2850m 2150m 1300m 1350m 1450m

(2041m — 2389m)

snow report 3 days ago

1.0 cm
4 days ago
24.0
11.0
clear clear heavy snow mod snow snow showers
Mid station 2215 m
2700m 1850m 1300m 1400m 1450m

(2057m — 2255m)

snow report 2 days ago

24 cm
yesterday
46.0
5.0
32.0
light snow mod snow mod snow snow showers clear
Mid station 2156 m
1050m 1100m 1350m 850m 650m

(1554m — 1707m)

snow report 4 days ago

20 cm
yesterday
18.0
7.0
snow showers light snow mod snow snow showers part cloud
Mid station 1630 m
850m 900m 850m 650m 550m

(2098m — 2555m)

snow report yesterday

414
211
Machine Groomed 26 cm
yesterday
53.0
6.0
36.0
light snow mod snow mod snow snow showers part cloud
Mid station 2326 m
1100m 1100m 1350m 700m 550m

(2042m — 2291m)

snow report 3 days ago

1.0 cm
4 days ago
27.0
6.0
part cloud clear light snow snow showers clear
Mid station 2166 m
2600m 1950m 1500m 1550m 1950m

(2057m — 2240m)

snow report 3 days ago

137
137
Machine Groomed 21 cm
yesterday
48.0
5.0
31.0
light snow mod snow mod snow snow showers part cloud
Mid station 2148 m
1100m 1100m 1400m 650m 450m

(2194m — 2438m)

snow report yesterday

10 cm
yesterday
44.0
8.0
26.0
part cloud light snow light snow light snow snow showers
Mid station 2316 m
1650m 1450m 1150m 1250m 1200m