Early-Season Snow Gives Western Ski Resorts a Welcome Boost
While the central and eastern U.S. sweat it out under unseasonably hot temperatures this week, winter is already raging across the northern Rockies. Significant snow accompanied the frigid temperatures as winter arrived early across the higher terrains of the region. Here is a look at the wintry West.
Snowfall Measured in Feet Recorded in Parts of the Rockies
The moisture associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel is fueling an early onset of winter across portions of the northern Rockies. Heavy snow is falling across much of Montana as the moisture from the former hurricane meets up with a pronounced dip in the jet stream that is sending cold air down from Canada.
While the snow was relegated to the northern portion of the Rockies earlier in the week, the flakes are now forecast to fall across the upper elevations of the mountains in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado.
The early-season winter storm first dumped 16 inches of snow in Great Falls, Montana, over the weekend. This measurement was good enough to make it the second-snowiest start to a season on record for Great Falls. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the snow total also ranks in ninth place for the city's two-day snowfall record. The snow event was quite the turnaround for a city that saw temperatures in the 80s last week.
Pocatello, Idaho, also saw the flakes fly to start the week when the mercury dropped below the freezing mark on Monday. Heading farther south, Nevada's Lee Canyon picked up measurable accumulation on Monday.
Potent snow bands have impacted the passes and peaks across Utah's Wasatch Range and into Colorado's western and central slopes. The forecast is calling for an additional 8 to 12 inches of snow at elevations over 8,000 feet. Although the heaviest snow has wrapped up, light flurries will continue to add to the wintry landscape.
Early Snow Harbinger of Things to Come?
The early-season snow may be a bit of a shock for those not yet ready for the arrival of Old Man Winter. However, the region's ski resorts are certainly welcoming the sight of the white stuff. The 2025 - 2026 winter season was a disaster for ski resorts across the West due to the lack of wintry precipitation.
Resorts are now looking to Mother Nature to help them rebound from last season's losses. Unfortunately for these resorts, winter sports enthusiasts have been slow to book for the upcoming season, likely because of last year's dismal conditions. Many ski resorts across the western U.S. were forced to close early last season because of the unseasonably warm temperatures and widespread drought conditions.
Several parts of the Intermountain West and the northern Rockies finished last season with snow totals that came in among the lowest 10 on the record books. A weakened storm track across the northern U.S. was primarily to blame for the historically low snowpack levels.
Travel Weekly is reporting that booking data through August showed that lodging occupancy rates were down 5.6% for November through February, signaling that travelers are wary of committing to that ski trip this year. The data from Inntopia DestiMetrics covers 17 of the most popular mountain destinations across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
Will a record-breaking Super El Niño usher in a different precipitation pattern this winter? It is difficult to predict with certainty, but this climate phase typically results in a more active Pacific jet stream that could translate to more snow for the Sierra Nevada and the southern Rockies.
Unfortunately for the Pacific Northwest, El Niño tends to lead to warmer-than-usual temperatures and drier conditions. How El Niño develops and impacts snowfall across the western U.S. will be something that ski lovers will definitely be keeping an eye on in the coming months.
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