The Snowiest Ski Resorts of Winter '23/'24
For many ski resorts across the West, "weird" wasn't the half of it, with the first portion of winter proving to be, well, not great. In December, some skiers worried 2023-2024 would be a dud. Then, it started snowing. A lot. By the end of March, ski resorts in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado were touting impressive snowfall totals.
Countless other snow stories played out in 2023 and 2024: The Nor'Easter that barrelled through the East this spring, delivering late-season powder days. The rainy Pacific Northwest struggles. And more than a few snow-dense Californian storms.
Now that all is (mostly) said and done, it's time to kick back and reminisce about the season that once was. These are the top ten snowiest North American ski resorts of 2023 and 2024.
These totals were accurate as of April 30th, but you know what they say: it ain't over til' it's over.
10. Grand Targhee Resort, Wyoming
Total snowfall: 438 inches
Is Grand Targhee—affectionately known as the "Ghee'"—slept on? Probably. But something tells me locals would prefer to keep it that way. Located North of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming, Grand Targhee serves up a different, less glitzy buzz than its resort cousin—and plenty of powder.
9. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming
Total snowfall: 447 inches
Speaking of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, meet the ninth snowiest resort of the 2023-2024 season. In mid-December, JHMR was among the ranks of Western ski areas that feared this winter was headed towards disaster. However, February and March wiped those concerns away, delivering feet upon feet of the white stuff.
8. Mt. Baker Ski Area, Washington
Total snowfall: 485 inches
Nestled in the North Cascades, Mt. Baker Ski Area is one of the snowiest North American ski resorts on average. This season was a bit tricky for the resort, with periods of challenging conditions broken by the occasional powder frenzy. Still, at Mt. Baker, "below average"—the ski area gets 666 inches during a usual year—is more than enough to crack the 2023-2024 top ten.
8 (Tie). Sugar Bowl Resort, California
Total snowfall: 485 inches
Courtesy Sugar Bowl Resort
Tying Mt. Baker for the eighth position is Sugar Bowl, one of the many top-notch ski areas surrounding Lake Tahoe, California. Alongside receiving plenty of snow this season, the resort also hosted a unique reimagining of its Silver Belt Classic competition, which drew loads of talented freeskiers. Snow conditions on competition day were perfect for a jibby backcountry shoot-out.
6. Timberline Lodge, Oregon
Total snowfall: 541 inches
Perched along the flanks of the picturesque Mt. Hood, Timberline Lodge is famous for more than its brief appearances in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. The lodge itself is a National Historic Landmark, and the surrounding ski area has served Portland, Oregon, area skiers for decades. Snowfall, too, is an obvious part of the allure, as is Timberline's Palmer Snowfield, which offers skiing late into the summer. At Timberline Lodge, the season is just getting started.
5. Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah
Total snowfall: 539 inches
Photo: Eric Schramm
Four of the remaining five resorts are located in Utah, Solitude among them. Solitude finished the 2023-2024 season in a strong position, inching ahead of its 500-inch average snowfall mark, and the party isn't over yet. Solitude plans to remain open until May 12th.
4. Snowbird, Utah
Total snowfall: 566 inches
Courtesy: Snowbird
Like Solitude, the lifts are still spinning at Snowbird. The Little Cottonwood Canyon resort is taking it further, though, staying open through at least Memorial Day, with weekends-only service (plus Memorial Day) beyond May 12th. Only 29 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport, Snowbird bills itself as North America's most accessible alpine resort. The late-season skiing on offer is the cherry on top.
3. Brighton Resort, Utah
Total snowfall: 568 inches
You may have heard that Brighton, thanks to its stellar terrain park offerings, is something of Salt Lake City freestyle mecca. To maintain this title, the resort is hosting the "Meltdown" season extension this May with a top-to-bottom terrain park serviced by the Crest 6 lift. But Brighton's snowy season and ensuing extension don't just benefit those hoping to lock in their lip on blind twos—a bounty of slushy groomers await, too.
2. Alta Ski Area, Utah
Total snowfall: 628 inches
Photo: Rocko Menzyk/Alta Ski Area
Not much can be said about Alta that hasn't been mentioned before. It regularly receives more snow than most other North American ski resorts and boasts killer terrain to match. That combination has earned Alta an enviable, well-deserved reputation. The only drawback? After hosting Frank—its legendary closing day party—the ski resort's now closed for the season, unlike some of its Utah neighbors.
1. Alyeska Resort, Alaska
Total snowfall: 740 inches
El Niños lean Alaska towards drier and warmer winter weather, but Mother Nature had other plans, delivering a whopping 740 inches of snow to Alyeska. And unlike many other resorts this winter, Alyeska played the consistency game, starting things off strong with plenty of the white stuff in November and December. When the dust (or snow?) settled this spring, Aleyska came out on top.
Related: Oregon Ski Resorts Reporting Fresh Snowfall Overnight
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