Ski Resort Regions RANKED By Reliability - Worst to Best (US/Canada)

[@amirsyoutube9518]

The best ski resort is the one that’s close by. So if you are lucky to live near any of these places, just take advantage of them every chance you get. I’ve skied 9 of ten listed, and can say an average day in wet PNW, which is an hour away from me is better than flying to a destination, renting an AirBnB, dealing with the exorbitant prices, etc of most destination resorts.

[@je5406]

This channel is geared for people who have to hop on a plane to ski anywhere.

[@johns3106]

Yup…make the best of what you got…and get out there a lot!

[@llljb.l]

Yeah I love living in south Texas 😢

[@llljb.l]

Something like 10-11 hours drive to even new Mexico ski resorts

[@proverbalizer]

if you live in CO it still might be worth it to hop on a plane to CA.

[@achilleparent1077]

"highly unusual event of an east coast powder day" ouch it's a hard truth love it and hate it at the same time

[@bearclaw5115]

I laughed when they said that! It's not Utah out here that's for sure but I've skied my fair share of 2 foot dumps in Vermont. But I pick my conditions only a day or two out. When it's snowing, get going!

[@exy3211]

This is fairly true. I've been skiing for 30 years on the East Coast and last year was the first time were I had more than one fresh powder days. It was great, but we're very competent ice skiers.

[@DavidDartsch]

You’ve never been to Jay Peak. 350 inches per year. If you go for 3 days you will probably get a powder day.

[@johns3106]

“No powder in the East” is a common misconception that those of us who live in northern VT know is false. We get plenty of good powder days each season, including many dumps that would be considered substantial anywhere! But, ya gotta be here to jump on it…waiting for the weekend 2 days later could mean that good dump gets rained on before you get there (but 3 days later we could have great snow again!). There are many times (like anywhere else) that the mts get hit hard and the lowlands get nothing. The “East” covers a diverse area, and while the Poconos or Catskills might not get many (if any) powder days, northern VT, NH & ME get plenty!

[@thomaslusignan945]

I think that putting all of Québec Vermont and Maine in the same area is a bit weird. Especially for the chic choc mountains, where there is quite a lot of powders days and some mountains are skiable from mid-November until early-June

[@michaelobrien2190]

After last year covering all the resorts you did, I wondered how you would keep the channel relevant and love these new videos you are doing. Very well done!

[@toosublime1]

Love this review but you need to show the names of the resorts for each region longer than a few milliseconds in the video.. a picture of a map with a big circle of each region and arrows pointing to each resort would be great too

[@PeakRankings]

Noted!

[@rorylidster4844]

great suggestion

[@aaronparr7264]

Nothing gets me hype for the ski season like PeakRankings and Lucas Catania

[@HondaCivic-cj1qf]

and rise and alpine oh my

[@karukun0212]

Living in Utah, and a frequent skier across the west and in Japan, I have to say that nowhere in America comes close to the predictability of good conditions in Hokkaido Japan. Japanese backcountry groups I have brought to Utah in my adv. travel business have been disappointed, hearing how good Utah is, and then finding that their own backyard is No. 1. Love Utah/my home state Colorado, and normally they are pretty great, but you gotta get to Hokkaido POW (and the Japanese hot springs) at least one time in your life.

[@chrisgravel7157]

Ski toured Norway, Iceland, France, Coastal BC. Hokkaido blew the doors off every BC and even Heli experience I've had.

[@adamkwiatkowski4107]

No wonder they're investing over $ billion in Japan ski region

[@wuffos]

0:50 Oregon, best in April 2:07 Lake Tahoe extreme snow dumps that can shut down access 4:06 Vermont, Quebec, & Maine ... spotty natural snow , best in February 6:11 Washington state & coastal British Columbia ... too close to thaw temperature, best in February 7:34 Inland BC, eastern WA, & northern ID 9:12 Southern CO spotty natural snow 10:42 "non-Cottonwoods" Utah, Feb. best 11:53 central & north CO , March best 13:04 Canadian Rockies, BC can be -40° 14:50 WY & southern MT 16:08 Cottonwoods Utah 17:41 Mammoth, CA Sun Valley, ID best in Feb. Taos, NM ... best in March

[@Swiss2025]

Whisler has a lot or rain , too expensive ( $ 200.00 a day for a ticket )and too far away .... lifts are old and slow ....

[@SidereumGD]

I live in NM and love Taos

[@LeemeSeeYaJAZZhands]

I took trips to the cottonwood resorts in late January 2021 and 2022. They were in the midst of a 4 week snow drought during the 2021 trip. I was amazed at the conditions, considering 4 weeks of temperature fluctuations, sun, dust, ski traffic, etc. Still super easy to carve, especially at Alta. Back east that snow would’ve been unskiable after a week.

[@Don-Michael]

As a Montana local, I would not group SW Montana with Wyoming. The weather around Grand Targhee and Jackson is far more consistent than Big Sky and Bridger. Last year we got blasted but on avg the NW Wyoming resorts are far more consistent. The Tetons always seem to score even if the storm pushes down to Utah or up to Montana.

[@danieltaylor3396]

Resorts in Banff, Alberta need to be a separate category from resorts in B.C. When the cold weather arrives it is always colder in Alberta and for a longer duration. This is because Banff resorts are higher elevation and farther inland vs B.C.

[@Swiss2025]

Alberta is also the worst province in CAnada for greenhouse gas and carbon print . Save the planet do not go to Alberta

[@danieltaylor3396]

@@Swiss2025 Don't you mean "Save the planet by staying home and not going anywhere". I'm sure that will work (sarcasm)

[@nate8932]

Loool, wonder where you dreamed that up

[@brendanwalsh826]

@@Swiss2025lol ok bro 👌.. heading there In a week… moo 🐮

[@connorwalsh4857]

Great list. The Cottonwoods and non-Cottonwoods of UT are an interesting one. I'd actually be tempted to flip them, especially during a heavy snowfall season like last year. While the Cottonwoods do get more snow, they are also much more difficult to get to during/after a storm and are prone to avy closures, as mentioned in the video. While Park City may not get quite as much snow, they still get plenty and don't have the travel hazards to navigate and provide more on-site lodging. For those reasons, I'd venture to say that the non-Cottonwoods are actually more reliable.

[@thomasmedeiros5722]

I was fortunate to have spent 7 seasons in SLC and we had Alta season passes. All my friends who were locals would totally agree with you assessment and give tourist the same advice to ski Park City👍👍 The traffic on the LCC and BCC road is impossible when it snows. If you’re up there during a storm be aware they may close the road.I your staying up in LCC you can be interloged because of avalanche danger. Expect delays in lift operations when it snows while they do Avalanche mitigation. Terrain can be limited when it snows due to Avalanche danger. If you’re only in SLC for a week or so the conditions in LCC or BCC could adversely affect your stay.

[@ewallt]

I live in Park City, and agree. In low snow seasons, I’ll venture down to the Cottonwoods, and I like the Spring skiing there, but in a year like last year, there was no reason to stray. A big plus is the roads never close, and even in high winds, they’ll almost always have some chairs open, whereas a resort like Snowbird will completely shut down due to high winds, even if the road is open. Finally the big cottonwood resorts are a lot more reliable in terms of road closures than big cottonwood, but if little closes, then everyone goes to big, so there’s that.

[@crunch507]

I’m not complaining that you didn’t mention any resorts in Alaska but our consistency is on point. It is almost always below freezing and we have some of the highest snow totals other than sometimes mt baker and Japan. But keep going to the i70 corridor. I don’t mind

[@ewallt]

These videos are always excellent. A few comments. First there’s a big difference in reliability in terms of road closures between big and little cottonwood canyon in Utah, where little closes far more frequently than big. I was slightly surprised that there was such a difference in ranking between the non Cottonwood Utah resorts and cottonwood as they’re on the other side of the same mountain ridge, and in places you can take a short hike (in summer) from one to the other, so while the cottonwoods are indeed better, having a lot more snow, they’re not enough better to induce me to make the extra effort to drive there from Park City, until you get to spring, at which point the Spring skiing is worth the effort. A big plus for the Park City resorts is the roads never close, and even in high winds, there’s usually parts of the resorts that are open.

[@ewallt]

Regarding Steamboat, it’s quite a bit different than the 70 resorts. On the plus side, it has better snow, both in fluffiness and quantity. On the minus side, it’s low revelation, and not much of the mountain faces North, so it’s highly susceptible to warmer conditions and sun exposure. When it’s snowing there, or just cloudy, it can be fantastic, but if it’s getting sun, conditions can deteriorate pretty quickly, especially compared to a place like Snowmass, for example, where the higher elevation runs preserve snow incredibly well, where you can go weeks without snow and have good skiing if a good base has been built.

[@VampguyN85]

When I was a kid we only had school vacation week in February to fly out west to ski. We had a great time at Heavenly and Squa in February one year, and Crested Butte another year. Than in High School, Whistler was heavy wet cement snow. Lot of rain mixed in the snow. Also Snowbird, Alta and Solitude were great during school break the year we went. As an adult, we went to Jackson Hole as a family in March, and the snow was worse than Maine. No snow, bare spots everywhere in town and on Snow King, and Jackson Hole was frozen boiler plate. Anything not groomed was brutal and not worth it.

[@jamesrausse7255]

I've been waiting for someone to create a video like this, so thank you. My only gripe is that everything on the East Coast is lumped as "East Coast". Northern New England and Quebec definitely see better conditions, but even amongst them, there is a definite difference. I feel that Quebec (definitely ski Le Massif!) and Jay Peak would be comparable, as would the NH Presidentials and Maine, but Vermont and the Adirondacks are more popular and similar, though not always the best. I also always wonder how typical East Coast regions compare to the Mid-Atlantic or Midwest resorts. I know neither of those are destination regions, but how does the snow quality and reliability stack up the the more typical East Coast sub-regions?

[@andrewjones7011]

My probably ignorant impression is that New England has more reliable snow than the mid-Atlantic. But the midwest also has consistent snow but lack the vertical of New England.

[@downhillupside]

Encountering wet snow at elevation in Whistler is relatively rare outside of late season.

[@sc100ott]

Although not a national destination, I’ll give my 2¢ on northern Michigan. I live in Michigan and ski mostly in the northern lower peninsula, although I’ve taken numerous trips West, and I have lived & skied in the Vermont/Adirondack region for 4 years also. Michigan in general has better snow quality than the NorthEast, although obviously with less vertical. Water resources are essentially unlimited, and so snowmaking coverage is nearly 100% at most places, and there are no large boulders that need to be covered, so just a few feet of base is enough to open everything. “Rock skis” are generally never needed. Just like the Northeast, there can be warm snaps and rain which make skiing wet, and then turns to ice when it freezes, but extensive snowmaking and grooming coverage means a quicker recovery than most Eastern resorts. Lake effect snowfall is unpredictable, but can make for some great powder days, and Michigan powder days are much lighter and drier than the typical mashed potatoes that fall in Vermont. Generally speaking, the trees are skiable on more days in Michigan than in Vermont or NY. Nothing beats the West, but some of my best powder days have actually been in Michigan.

[@peter1234930]

It's great but too far away for most people, and the cold temperatures are a turnoff for many

[@jamesrausse7255]

I was hoping some inclusion of the Midwest/Mid-Atlantic resorts. I understand that they are no way destinations, but as an East Coaster, it's always difficult for me to gauge whether Mt. Bohemia or Snowshoe is worth my effort. I've hit most other regions. My curiosity remains peaked.

[@sc100ott]

@@jamesrausse7255 Honestly, I haven’t been to Mt. Bohemia, although it is on my bucket list. From what I can tell, it’s definitely an outlier in that it gets incredible lake-effect snow, sometimes double what other Michigan resorts get. There’s very little grooming and is largely gladed skiing. It is difficult to get to, and lodging is very limited. For those of us who live in the lower peninsula, it’s generally easier and faster to hop on a plane to SLC than it is to get to Bohemia. For as great as Bohemia seems, there are several places in Utah which have more snow, double the vertical and access to an actual restaurant.

[@evaodland7349]

Milwaukee here, I have had numerous pow days at Mount Bohemia over the years timing trips to arrive before storms that fire up the lake effect cycle. @@jamesrausse7255

[@PowderLlamma]

UP Baby!!!!!!! A lake effect dump isn’t fathomable to people anywhere else. No close airports, no close cities…pretty much never gonna be a destination….but, housing is hella affordable, the roads are flat, snowmobiling and ATV allowed on the roads. The vertical isn’t impressive ~6 to 7 hundo, but you’ll get more runs in….and before anyone claps back look up Bohemia! Black diamonds out west look like cubic zirconia at Bohemia

[@Swiss2025]

Quebec is not on the east coast but central Canada . We received more than 3 feet of snow in december 2023 and January 2024 . Quebec city ( Stoneham, Ste-Anne , Lac Delage ) ,Charlevoix region ( Le MAssif , Grand Fonds ski station ) , Saguenay region ( LE VAlinouet ) and the Chic Chocs mountains ( heliski ) receive more than 7 feet of snow every year . You cannot compare any stations in Vermont with Quebec ski stations and snow conditions . Whisler had no snow at Xmas ( 2023) and getting a lot of rain this winter .

[@NotHaydenMoss]

If you can ski in the northeast/mid Atlantic you can truly ski anywhere in the world. I've been skiing in PA my whole life and you can be sure that 75% of the mountains will always be a sheet of ice.

[@harrydarling1]

That's how I learened/grew up. Absolutely love it. Also, gives me a great appreciation for better conditions:)

[@bearclaw5115]

Such outstanding footage all in 4k! And every shot was appropriate to the point you were making about the conditions in that area. So impressive!

[@chrisdejon8950]

Pretty glad that you put Oregon last because we don't really need anymore people coming here but putting the Northeast ahead of us is outrageous.. Our snow is like, you know, actually real.

[@chrisdejon8950]

That said, I like the channel and what you guys are doing!

[@timbren2809]

real or not that doesnt matter. conditions and the feel of the snow when riding matters

[@snoregon]

@@timbren2809 Grew up in the east skiing PA, NY and VT. Live in OR now, they are not in the same league. Oregon is not a great destination during winter due to unpredictable storms and lodging issues but not an issue for locals. Its early dec and I’ve had multiple powder days including about 3 feet on opening day .Mt hood meadows has a 95 inch base of natural snow currently. We generally have deeper snow packs in may than anywhere in the east midwinter. I’ll be skinning for corn in June and July. Been here 8 years and without fail March and April dumps that with the terrain puts it in a different league than anywhere east coast. If you’re dragging a bunch of kids around on your week ski vacation maybe not the spot.

[@yunzheng9705]

Cottonwood resorts have significant problem about their traffic resiliency and on-site lodges are so limited

[@paultindall1235]

Yeah they suck don’t go

[@ewallt]

@@paultindall1235lol

[@teacherguy5084]

Trying to generalize about this reliabliity issue is very difficult/questionable. Oregon, ranked last, includes the only ski area in the U.S. that is generally open 11 to 12 months a year - Mt. Hood, with the Palmer Glacier lift, where various national ski teams train during the summer. Before that lift was built, and before profit-sensitive corporations took over Mt. Bachelor, Bachelor was routinely open into June (1960s and early 70s) and was the US Ski Team's spring/early summer training site for that reason. Some of the increased uncertainty in Oregon and Washington is related to climate change, which affects the areas with 3,000-4,500 foot base elevations much more than it did in the 1970s and before. Higher elevation areas (Bachelor at 6,500 feet, Mt Hood at 6,000 (at the lodge) have been more resistant.

[@Joe-nu2sz]

I love timberline but there’s no chance it’s open 12 months straight ever again

[@bigslydoc]

I think you got it nearly perfect with the categories. I’d prob put Tahoe above the East Coast but other than that perfect. I would change one thing though and thats move Big White from Inland NW/South BC to Canadian Rockies-Non-South BC. Geographically it’s certainly in South BC but is significantly higher than almost all other BC resorts with a base elevation at approx 1600m compared to 1300m for Silver Star and 1200m for Sun Peaks and Red Mountain for example. I think you could say it’s more reliable snow and quality wise and straddles the two categories perhaps.

[@LHa-wd4uh]

Big White is one of my favourite mountains. Love both the terrain and the quality of the snow, most days even if dumps aren't common. Having said that, I've also had consistent luck with white-outs and there's some scientific explanations for why fog is so common in the region. You could go for a week and not see a thing the entire week.

[@danieltaylor3396]

@@LHa-wd4uh Big White's well deserved nickname is Big Whiteout.

[@DaarioNaharis1738]

I’d put northern VT above Tahoe

[@fishskiweatherreports]

I love watching a PeakRankings video! I learn a lot!

[@grizzkid795]

Snowbird and Alta take a lot of snow to cover up the rocks. Grand Targhee (aka.Grand Foggy) is the best early season bet for the US, at least until Alta gets about an 80" base.

[@ericmcleod7825]

As a follow-up perhaps a video on the best places to go each month of the season.

[@grizzkid795]

That would be a crapshoot, but Grand Targhee may be about the best for December, as it's not as rocky as Cottonwood resorts.

[@thebaronaa7739]

You should review Santa Fe. Its getting its first high speed lift for the 24/25 season!

[@take3077]

Surprisingly good for how south it is

[@thebaronaa7739]

@@take3077 Sandia Peak is also surprisingly good!

[@PeakRankings]

We’ll try to get there this season!

[@Rockwood1407]

​​​@@PeakRankings Arizona Snowbowl would be really interesting. While it's AZ... When it snows it absolutely dumps. Flagstaff is one of the snowiest cities in the country. The ski resort a few thousand feet above it has steep enough terrain to be worth skiing on a powder day. In 2017, I skied the "south face" sidecountry, which was nearly 5000 ft of descending pure powder to the outskirts of town. This was also a common occurrence last year in the mega winter of 2022/23 It gets the same storms Mammoth does, but dried out. And in the common off times, it's extreme high elevation and recent investments mean it might have the best snowmaking system in the country. Closing dates in May aren't ridiculous in a good year thanks to the base. Is it a true destination? Definitely not. But it is a new real regional destination that has nearly 100% high speed lift coverage and the snowmaking and terrain to matter. And ofc, it's only a few hours from a city that dwarfs SLC. MCP and it's power pass have followed the population and adventure culture to the Southwest to be a real competitor to ikon and Vail, and it's pretty underreported. They own or operate the closest skiing to Phoenix, Vegas, Albuquerque, Santiago...

[@trioproductions5403]

@@thebaronaa7739sandia can't even open, Santa fe, Taos, red river, and angel fire are the only New Mexico resorts worth going to.

[@jimalden3182]

guys where is the resort from 14:41 to 14:49 that looks just incredible!

[@derickwilliams6723]

Where would you rank the smoky mountain ranges in north carolina like beach and sugar mountain? Or have you been to those?

[@PeakRankings]

Haven’t been yet.

[@maxwellerickson7066]

@@PeakRankings Where would AK resorts rank on this list? Alyeska, Eaglecrest, etc

[@charlieharper4975]

Squaw/Alpine : rain at 10,000ft in February. Or so hot you can sun bath on the beach by the lake in the same month. Been going to Tahoe for 50 years. Still one of the best ski places on earth if you are an expert.

[@benkizer9509]

As someone who lives in PDX and has skied Colorado and Utah for much of my life, no, the PNW does not compare to the Rocky Mountains in terms of ski quality, but there is some awesome skiing in Oregon. Mt. Hood Meadows and Mt. Bachelor are both very solid resorts. I usually take a few PTO days in March and ski on a weekday. Crowds aren't bad, the drive is beautiful, and skiing is fun. If you need a lot of frills in your skiing, stick to the Colorado/Utah resorts. If you want solid skiing and don't care if it's not near five star resorts, give the PNW a shot. It's not just rain and coffee in the winter.

[@Decentlyz]

What about alyeska?

[@PeakRankings]

Missed opportunity for next time

[@markdisanzo3796]

He ain't lying about the cold in BC. During a week in Revelstoke in Feb 2019, the high temp was 10 degrees F for our entire trip.

[@stef2499]

I was 2x at alta, that skinresort is amazing, had a powderday the first time we where there. Best powder ive ever had. 1meter fresh snow overnight

[@shortkeys73]

Amazing quality video here, thanks so much!

[@eedom69]

VT Maine and Quebec??? You forgot the state in the middle. The state with the biggest mt's in the East called NH. But like those other states it also has similar weather: erratic weather way above avg temps one day and -20 the next.

[@PeakRankings]

If we put NH on here, it would be last. But the state attracts much more of a regional Boston crowd than a broader Northeast demographic, so we made the (obviously subjective) decision to leave it off. Same with NY, MA, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southwest, and Southern CA.

[@wmeuse2375]

​@@PeakRankingsi think that is off, it is judt there is so much less space and so many people that ice forms more rapidly. The best proof of this is Titus in real up state NY you can find powered there most of the entire season. It smaller and in the middle of true no where, while the rest of the mountain get enough traffic to make it seem like there is nothing there. Makes consistent 6 inches look like nothing.

[@bearclaw5115]

True NH does have the highest mountains in the East but there aren't any resorts that take advantage of that elevation. There is generally more vertical feet available in Vermont and 50 to 200% more snow. Mt. Washington is amazing though. I love how you can look down at Wildcat Ski Area a half mile below you and Wildcat is a high resort for the East!

[@eedom69]

​@@bearclaw5115 Vermont's got 7 or 8 resorts with over 2000 vert and NH has about 3. As far as snow goes there's no data out there that proves VT ski areas are getting as much as they say. Snowfall totals collected by NOAA, Mt Mansfield and Mt Washington show that it is unlikely that anyone is getting much more than 200". According to all those sources no one is averaging close to 300 inches a year like Stowe, Smugglers and Jay say. Take for example Mt Mansfield's avg is like just over 200 inches of snow and at the same time Stowe claims over 300 inches of snow. How could that be??? Stowe is on Mt Mansfield. Search images for: NOAA northeast snowfall totals or "Does Jay peak get as much snow as they say?"

[@jeremycochran9340]

I'd love to see Red Lodge and Bridger Bowl listed as Northern Rockies destinations and maybe get review vids. While smaller than Big Sky, etc., they are popular destinations for residents of upper plains states because they are a pretty easy road-trip via interstates 90/94 and don't present the sticker shock of Big Sky/Jackson Hole. I regularly drive from my home in Wyoming to ski Red Lodge on Indy Pass, and the lot is always packed full of vehicles from North Dakota and Minnesota. When I grew up in Minnesota, Bridger Bowl and Red Lodge were the most often talked about destinations, and I'm sure those folks would appreciate your view on how they stack up! (Of course, I'd also love to see the Midwest included as a region here too, but I understand why it doesn't really fit your focus on big fly-to ski destinations.)

[@PeakRankings]

A Bridger Bowl review and video is in the works!

[@anton.profe.candela]

Great video! I was also wondering about Alaska resorts (Still US!); particularly EagleCrest, Alyeska, and Ski Land, just to name a few.

[@joeyenniss9099]

similar to pacific BC but maybe even more variability

[@dougmougey9212]

Awesome video with great information. For the areas I know (cottonwoods, colorado and tahoe), this is spot on. For the areas I don't know, thanks for the info!

[@himboslice_]

last year when I was at telluride it closed multiple times because snow/wind then the one lift I wanted to lap for pow runs kept breaking lmfao

[@luvlilly]

i once went skiing with my family and another group of friends in lake tahoe at northstar and the main gondola was closed for the last 4 days of our trip so we couldn't even go ski, and on the day we were suppose to leave, we couldn't since there was a road blockage due to heavy snow. we ended up having to stay in our hotel for 3 more days while doing absolutely nothing. Even once we could leave, we were stuck in heavy traffic on the way down from the mountain for around 9 hours until we finally decided to stay at a hotel for the night. the group of friends didn't stay with us and ended up continuing even once they were turned back and got home (we only live around 3 hours away) at 4 am when we left the resort at 8am the day prior.

[@grizzkid795]

That sounds about right. You could have had a drought, rain for days, or the best skiing ever

[@Randy-nk2ne]

Would youdo a video on the central and southern appalachain resorts?. Maybe snowshoe and the resorts further south?

[@newschooler720]

Comparing the rockies resorts (Banff/Golden) with interior BC resorts like Sun Peaks, Silverstar and Revy is odd. Totally different weather patterns, terrain and snow accumulations, even when comparing an interior resort such as Revy to the other interior destinations. Rockies may get those extreme cold spells you talked about, however interior mountains rarely do and never to the same extent.

[@Vantage389]

I think he covered these resorts enough, no need to look into them anymore.

[@holymeto9981]

0:18 Literally my first trip at sugarloaf maine 😢

[@johningraham6547]

The regions are bit strange. Washington and Pacific BC are together, but are not very close together. The drive from Crystal to Whistler is 6.5 hours. Conversely, all the Utah resorts are within 2 hours of each other, but is broken up into two regions.

[@jacobqyv]

you missed New Hampshire, which while yes is in the East Coast, Bretton Woods is a weird Annomoly, due to its unique geography, numerous snow storms are funneled into the valley that its in then stop at the presidential range and dump everything in the valley resulting in double the coverage and snow thickness as well as colder temperatures

[@overwatchxrescue]

Interesting video! Definitely a lot of factors that go into these rankings that people wouldn't think of immediately. The weather really needs to be in that perfect Goldilocks zone for skiing - not too hot and not too cold.

[@Type1FunDay]

You merged the North East together... I wonder if you would dare to make a video only on the east coast mountains and resorts - break it down... Technically speaking, I believe 'most' skiers stick to their region first, and perhaps plan on longer drive to a resort that is good but out of reach, before they plan flight across the country. Past few years we went to resorts that are far for us to get to, such as Jay Peak, Stowe, or kind of Whiteface. And talking about reliability and disappointment. All of them would make it on the list easily. Snow, Okemo, Killington etc... maybe we come to them with not so high expectations, but they usually deliver, given their location altitude etc.. anyway, woudl be interesting to see a breakdown of all mountains on the east, say from NYC to NE.

[@conorsheridan2998]

Going to Tahoe early December for our school snowboarding club. Hoping for feast but I’m also not expecting much as it’d my first large resort I’ve ever been to

[@je5406]

Keep expectations low. Realise that the footage from the promotional videos is taken from the top 10 days of a 140+ day season.

[@mattwendling267]

i would never plan a trip to tahoe before january.

[@WC3isBetterThanReforged]

Honorable mention: alaska. Sure it's only one resort but it's easily accessible (getting to anchorage is the hard part), better views than tahoe, consistent powder from November through late April, amenities comparably priced to the greater anchorage economy and the resort hotel is affordable relative to comparable lower 48 on mountain lodging.

[@frasergalloway641]

Need to put Revelstoke into a higher snowfall group. Steamboat near Wyoming boarder should be grouped with Montana Wyoming group.

[@artistmelissa]

Colorado native here ....#1-#6 are all pretty much the same. Utah can be phenomenal/better for sure on a few days.

[@jfdeforge9946]

I would somewhat disagree with number 9. Sure, SOME resort in the southern part of that area experience lack of coverage. But mostly, that would not be the case from late January to early April. Especially in Québec. I can say from experience (lived there most of my life) that Québec and Vermont, although experiencing some icy conditions, have so many more good than bad days. And the snowfall is pretty consistent throughout the season although quite a bit less than other places

[@johnsmeith3913]

I somewhat agree with your comment, but I would say the only resort in Quebec(included on the list in this video) that gets better snow coverage than Vermont or Maine is le Massif due to being on the Saint Lawrence river. Mont Tremblant and MSA from what I experienced have slightly less reliable coverage than Stowe, Jay Peak, or Sugarloaf, etc.

[@GigaChadRealington]

What’s crazy is the best skiing in VT/ Upstate NY in 23-24 season was in March. Mother Nature is tough to forecast :)

[@djjosseppe]

It’s odd that you lumped Quebec in with southern Vermont, they are so different in every way possible. Le massif gets regular pow days, not to mention the cultural experience. And how did you leave out NY and New Hampshire? And to say that the best time to visit WB is February doesn’t stand up to the current weather patterns. And there is so much terrain that even in the unlikely event that you can not access the alpine, there is still loads of excellent terrain. But still some good info, and definitely provokes conversation.

[@imposiblaa2058]

6:43 has gotta be Stevens Pass… Looks exactly like the part of Gemini right off of the top of Tye Mill and Jupiter. That run seems to always have the worst visibility.

[@DD-sr9xm]

Obviously they have to draw lines somewhere but they have Crested Butte in “southern CO” and Aspen in “northern CO”, but they are only 10 miles apart.

[@PeakRankings]

While physically very close, Aspen and Crested Butte are actually about a ~4 hours’ drive from one another. And while no regional grouping will be perfect, we drew the line for these mountains based on their snow characteristics (Aspen is much more similar to other central CO destinations, while CB is much more like what you’d get in southern CO).

[@LoneTreeAdventures]

I was so ready to get the hell out of Utah like 5 years ago and found a resort I could afford and thought “if I enjoy skiing I’ll stay otherwise I’m moving somewhere warmer! Thank god I did! I now work at Snowbasin as a manger and am iching like a coke head to get some of that powder! Let it snow ❄️

[@thomaspalko4430]

Great job with this video!

[@samraymond215]

I think most of this is accurate but having Revelstoke and Lake Louise in the same region is ridiculous. LL gets less snow than most places in the east while Revelstoke is way more reliable than this video suggests. Revelstoke doesn’t get nearly as cold as the rockies and they get less dry spells than the cottonwoods. Yes it can rain at low elevations but those regions don’t exist anywhere else outside of Whistler. You can ski Alta’s entire vertical rise in the alpine and then ski keystones vertical rise on groomers in one lap.

[@Rbrke]

We are looking for late ski trip - April 15 - 19 when I’ll have 15 and 12 year old boys both on break. Love ideas please. 🙏

[@theshipscat3438]

where i am from, i refer to seasons or weather cycles as tourist or local conditions. not everyone wants the same thing. what makes tourists happy is bright blue skies and mild conditions for great photos (snow capped mountain tops) with smooth groomed trails that hold up all day. what makes a local happy is a storm that dumps (photos with a buddy caked in snow after a tumble), grooming is only to access lifts so not a priority that it bumps up. if you are booking a trip a long time in advance this information is extremely helpful. if you can follow the snow on short notice, a lot of this information could be misleading. your breakdown shows you know your weather patterns and how they define the distinct areas. rankings try to lump every ones choices into one neat package. with so many factors determining the quality of a ski vacation, it is refreshing to see snow conditions broken down without the extra noise about everything else.

[@FishGalleon]

Mammoth has had unusually high amounts of weather holds in the past 5 years due to wind and visibility. New owner might have increased the wind sensitivity of the lifts (if that’s possible)

[@MatthewKane-o4y]

What mountain is at 0:06?

[@PeakRankings]

Heavenly!

[@CrobinHood8BitGuy]

Go to the Midwest, we barely get any natural snow, so we have incredibly robust snow making infrastructure.

[@chrisgoetzman8660]

Just the simple fact alone that Oregon is bottom on the list of "reliable" even though olympic athletes come to *summer* ski at Mt. Hood really does challenge my brain at just what kinds of regional biases . Oregon has low elevation unreliable resorts (Skibowl), it has the most reliable terrain in the country (core Timberline/Meadows/Bachelor skiing,) & it has *too snowy* terrain that's limited to other parts of the season. That Oregon is a video game with multiple different conditions *at once* is not "unreliable" it's actually the opposite...

[@dandangalodangalus9082]

I don’t know what Meadows you’re talking about, but the Mt Hood Meadows I ride every weekend is not reliable at all. Cascade is open less than 30% of the season.

[@Tyler-TAG]

Putting any East Coast resort or region ahead of Tahoe is crazy

[@kuladeeluxe]

Snowbird, Revelstoke, Whitewater, Sunshine, Steamboat, Georgian Peaks (For the ice festival)

[@holymeto9981]

Wait until you hear about the north side and edge side at tremblant. Bare spots? Almost never heard of those.

[@joeyenniss9099]

You said that the cottonwood resorts close for avalanche mitigation and interlodge and that is false. I've only seen 1 time they didn't run any lifts after a massive storm. If you get interlodged at alta snowbird you are so extremely lucky because nobody can get to the resort but they still run some lifts and open more terrain as the day goes on.

[@mich2962]

As an austrian. I truly feel bad for american skiers who have to put up with insanely high prices for skiing

[@ShaunEk1]

This content is amazing

[@jackstanley7052]

Locals will hate me for this but the best time to visit Jackson Hole is actually Thanksgiving weekend, February 29th and the 3rd week of April 🙄

[@nesolea1]

I am surprised that Alyeska and its counterpart Alaska resorts were not featured, why?

[@OkBox4]

what are the best places to ski in minnesota?

[@hahnmowermotorsports179]

I can’t believe you put Oregon at the bottom of the list, I’ve had some of the best powder days on Oregon mountains.

[@crazysanta6641]

i think it should be in the same category as washington

[@ryanheyrman9556]

Shat about Wisconsin/Michigan?

[@James7995]

I just realized, despite all the specialized niche skis, no one has made a dedicated rock ski. I’m thinking..cheap, thick extruded base, freestyle rails, thick VDS layer, and cheap. Maybe a foam core. But it’s got to be cheap. Like $250/pair so you can get new ones easily.

[@TacticaLLR]

Good vid!

[@Spudst3r]

No mention of Whistler-Blackcomb?!

[@misterfunnybones]

Good, the lines are long enough.

[@SnowghostFilms]

No 12. Australia. Snow is insanely unreliable here. Powder days are rare, there are runs that haven’t been open in years, the coldest we’ve ever gotten is -23C, rain is a common occurrence, many days half the “mountains” are on wind hold and if you’re lucky the season last 4 months, although this year it was less than 3 and we were riding on dirt and grass in a lot of places.

[@toner3388]

Do bear valley resort in arnold

[@ikal8178]

What about Alyeska?

[@IgobylotsOfnamesorsomething]

Can you please rank chile ski resorts

[@natswinter8917]

I was hoping you'd leave Mammoth out completely, but snuck it in at the last second :P

[@Bob-ru6nw]

Where does Alaska rank?

[@wisskier]

I would not suggest the northern MT & ID resorts past early March. The upper mountain is still good but mid mountain and lower starts to get crusty and icy. But it seems you are more likely to experience bluebird atmospheric conditions Mid March.

[@SkiDaBird]

If you feel comfortable on corn, the spring can be the best time to ski MT. It's less reliable, since if it's cold, you're SOL. But if you get a warm spring day in MT, which is common by late March, you get soft snow over the whole mountain.

[@wisskier]

@@SkiDaBird yeah we got some of that -- I forgot about that. However, even with that it was still highly variable.

[@EricVinton]

Personally I'ld move Steamboat into its own category. The Yampa valley is pretty wet.

[@HS-fm9kv]

Nothing in Alaska?

[@weirdbeard1980]

Hmmmm decent review but no mention of the resorts on alfa centuri? I've heard there are some decent hills out there.

[@dhowe5180]

As long as you have flexibility in your travel days reliability shouldn’t matter that much. Just wait until a weather/snow window opens up for where you actually want to ski and jump on it. I’ve skied all of these regions (except the northeast) and never had a bad day in any of them. Being self employed helps a lot in that regard.

[@je5406]

This isnt a guide for powderhounds.

[@TahoeLand]

Uncertain snow reliability is one reason among many to get into cross country skiing.

[@richardmaroun2117]

You underestimate the cottonwoods freeze thaw cycles- it was so icy our whole group could barely stay upright at the end of last December. mammoth is way more reliable than that

[@coolbrotherf127]

Then there's where I live that gets about 2 inches of snow a year. I learned to snowboard on artificial snow before I ever got to go to a real ski resort.

[@sanlee6700]

Mammoth is hidden gem. Keep it secret! : P

[@mtadams2009]

Maybe because I am a season pass holder at Killington Vermont I am a little bios but I often ski the trees and I don’t own a pair of rock skies and none of my friends do. I am planning a trip out West and I am already anxious. Skiing out West used to be a lock but it’s been a long time since I have seen any big dumps and when it suck out West it really sucks. To big to groom and and next to no real snow making. When it’s good it’s fantastic so I keep going. I am an old man but still love to ski the steeps and hike for the goods. I know it’s this type of terrain that needs big snow. Please Big Sky don’t screw this late February. Nice video.

[@elaboratelymcc9038]

I was at big sky in april last year and everything off the headwaters ridge was open. Only closed terrain was dead goat and upper A-Z. Big sky is pretty reliable

[@huguesblain9154]

Defining East coast from Vermont to Quebec as a region is so inaccurate. Some regions included receive a steady amount of snow that is 3 times more than Vermont. And are 12-hour drive away…

[@johns3106]

So…given that mts in northern VT get 250-300 inches a season, you’re saying there’s some magical place in Quebec that gets 900+- inches!! That’s a little hard to believe!

[@huguesblain9154]

No magic trick here! I live near Jay and I would say that the snow stats are on EPO and steroids at the same time! (I love skiing Jay and Stowe…) But if you go up North where it’s colder, you enter an other dimension. No rain and legit snow base. Try cat-skiing in Gaspésie.

[@LagmasterB]

Lookout Pass on Idaho/MT border.