#ski-resorts

#ski-resorts

The ongoing Sunday night into Monday storm across the central Andes keeps producing mainly upper-mountain snow through Monday before tapering out by Tuesday morning, April 21. A realistic near-term outcome is about 16-20 cm at Las Leñas, 9-11 cm at Valle Nevado, and lighter 5-8 cm amounts around El Colorado, La Parva, and Portillo.

Kirkwood has had a pretty solid past few days, seeing 42 inches of snow through the past 7 days, 31 of which fell in the past 48 hours. As of April 13th, Kirkwood has 5 lifts spinning with 45 of 84 trails open to skiers and snowboarders.

Gassan Ski Area opened its 2026 season on April 10, providing one of the rare opportunities to ski well into the warmer months, with operations expected through mid-June.

Valle Nevado, located in the Chilean Andes, is South America's largest ski resort, known for its legendary powder days and cultural immersion experience.

Utah's ski season, like much of the western United States, was a bit of a dud. Snowstorms were few and far between, weather was warm, and many trails were wet and slushy.

The new shuttle will operate on a first-come, first-served basis, providing convenient access to Kirkwood for skiers and snowboarders.

In the mountain village of Capracotta, snowdrifts reached over five feet, burying streets and forcing residents to dig tunnels through the snow.

Round 1 of SnowBrains' 2026 March Madness Ski Resort Edition saw 32 matchups featuring some of the best ski resorts from across North America. Over 65,000 votes were cast by SnowBrains followers across social media platforms to help decide what the best ski resort in North America is.

Images on social media show snowed-in cars, mountains of marshmallow powder, and landscapes buried under deep midwinter snow. In many of these areas, one would need to look back to 1999 to find thicker snow cover in February. In other words, this is an unprecedented post-2000 snow situation in most of France. However in 2018, the historic "Beast from the East" storm cycle delivered extraordinary totals to resorts in the south of France. Still, for much of northern Savoie and Haute-Savoie, February 2026 stands out as one of the most impressive snow periods in nearly three decades.

Many parts of the Alps, including around Verbier, have seen some huge snowfall totals over the past week. As such the avalanche danger in many areas is high or extreme, forcing resorts to highly recommend sticking to open trails and following signs. European resorts often allow skiers and snowboarders to ride off-piste at their own risk. Verbier is strongly discouraging off-trail skiing, but people still pop in between runs believing that they're safer than they really are.

A Friday-through-weekend system refreshes the Pacific Northwest mountains, and then a colder, more unsettled pattern keeps the door open for a much bigger snow cycle into next week. Snow levels trend downward through the weekend, helping keep most resort terrain in snow and setting up improving quality as colder air settles in. After a brief lull, additional rounds of mountain snow look likely, while the timing, snow levels, and wind impacts become less certain with each passing day.

Whitefish/Kalispell, Montana: United Airlines has expanded its direct service from San Francisco to Glacier Park International Airport, a short drive to world-class Whitefish Mountain Resort and the smaller, family-owned Blacktail Mountain Ski Area. You won't find either on the Epic or Icon passes, which means fewer skiers and shorter lift lines. The proximity to Flathead Lake, even larger in surface area than Lake Tahoe, also means stunning views and a phenomenon called snow ghosts when ice crystals form on the pines.

When the numbers were added up, the Green Mountain State took the crown with a score of 9.49 out of a possible ten. With an average of 81.2 inches of snowfall annually, Vermont's precipitation was bested by only two other states in the top ten-Wyoming with 91.4 inches and New York with an impressive 123.8 inches. Temperatures from December through February hover around a frosty 19.4 degrees, perfect for maintaining snow accumulation on trails throughout the season.

While most are familiar with the world-class Mont Tremblant, the route there is dotted with independent resorts-each with a distinct vibe-that light up the Laurentians ( Les Laurentides ) like constellations against an ancient sky. These ranges offer something different than towering peaks: intimate terrain steeped in character. They tease the eye, spark the imagination, and possess a certain magic for producing champion skiers and snowboarders. Their ancient geology creates a singular landscape of rolling, forested hills and tight tree runs that feel worlds away from the mega-resorts.

Independent and family-owned ski areas tend to come with their own unique charm, whether it be a crowd of locals where everyone knows each others names, owners or CEOs that are frequently seen around the mountain, or just a general welcoming vibe.

Arctic air and a Friday-Saturday storm deliver the best Colorado refresh to the southern and central mountains, with lighter but high-quality snow farther north. Snow levels start modestly higher early, then crash through the event, so conditions trend drier and fluffier as temperatures drop into Saturday night and Sunday morning; next week looks milder and mostly quiet after the cold weekend.

Using A.I. for detecting ticket fraud follows the recent trend of A.I. making its way into snow sports. Recently, competition organizations like X Games and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) have experimented with using A.I. to assist with judging contests. Brands are also using A.I. to assist with creating graphics for their skis and snowboards. And it does not look like the A.I. train is slowing down any time soon.