Ranking
The most snow-sure ski resorts in North America
The resorts in North America with the most months of reliable natural snow, ranked from eleven winters of weather data.
The short answer
Of the 10 resorts Cirque models in North America, Whistler Blackcomb has had the most reliable natural snow: mid-mountain was snow-sure in 5 months of the year, with 30 cm or more on a typical 207 days a winter.
A month counts as snow-sure when mid-mountain had 30 cm or more of modelled natural snow on at least 90% of its days in at least 9 of the last 11 winters. Ties are broken by the typical number of days a winter with 30 cm or more.
The ranking
1. Whistler Blackcomb, Canada: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 5 months (Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr); typically 207 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
2. Big Sky, USA: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 5 months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May); typically 188 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
3. Jackson Hole, USA: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 4 months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr); typically 184 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
4. Banff Sunshine, Canada: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 4 months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr); typically 177 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
5. Vail, USA: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 4 months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr); typically 165 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
6. Aspen Snowmass, USA: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 4 months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr); typically 165 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
7. Alta, USA: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 4 months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr); typically 151 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
8. Mammoth Mountain, USA: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 3 months (Feb, Mar, Apr); typically 166 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
9. Revelstoke, Canada: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 3 months (Jan, Feb, Mar); typically 153 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
10. Stowe, USA: snow-sure at mid-mountain in 2 months (Feb, Mar); typically 113 days a winter with 30 cm or more.
Questions
Which ski resort has the most reliable snow in North America?
Of the resorts Cirque models, Whistler Blackcomb: mid-mountain was snow-sure in 5 months of the year over the last 11 winters.
How is snow reliability measured?
By counting winters. A month is snow-sure when mid-mountain had 30 cm or more of modelled natural snow on at least 90% of its days in at least 9 of the last 11 winters.
Does this include snowmaking?
No. These are modelled natural snow figures only, from ERA5 weather. Groomed pistes with snowmaking often ski better than this.