Ski Resorts & Climate Change

North America Europe coming soon

Which ski resorts will hold up as winters warm? We rebuilt 40 winters of hour-by-hour weather at 220 North American resorts, simulated the snowpack day by day at each resort's base, mid-mountain and peak, then replayed those winters 2°C warmer. Here's how they rank.

Winter Resilience Score 75 and up (56) 40–74 (77) Below 40 (87)

Season Length rankings → How many days a season each resort has enough natural snow to ski, today and at +2°C. Top: Powder King (178 days) · Shames Mountain (175 days) · Grand Targhee (174 days) Rain Risk rankings → How much winter precipitation falls as rain instead of snow, and how fast that grows with warming. Top: A-Basin · Loveland · Monarch Snow Preservation rankings → Which resorts' terrain faces away from the sun and keeps its snow longest. Top: Eaglecrest (-52% sun) · Massif Du Sud (-43% sun) · Antelope Butte (-41% sun)

Compare three resorts

	Jackson HoleWY	WhistlerBC	KillingtonVT
Winter Resilience Score ranking vs. the field; 100 = most resilient	57 #92 in the West	54 #97 in the West	26 #32 in the East & Midwest
Rain Resiliency Score ranking; 100 = least rain risk	71	33	35
Naturally skiable days Nov–Apr, today → +2°C	166 → 153	148 → 106	123 → 87
Base-area skiable days today → +2°C	156 → 133	105 → 21	91 → 39
Winter precip falling as rain today → +2°C	5% → 14%	19% → 36%	31% → 45%
Rain-on-snow days per season at +2°C (slush, then ice)	5.9	5.4	8.5
Snowmaking hours base, Nov–Dec, at +2°C	950	420	500
Terrain sun exposure vs. neutral terrain; less = holds snow better	+28%	-23%	-11%

Bold = best of the resorts compared. Every “+2°C” figure is a stress test: the same 40 winters replayed warmer, not a forecast.

North America: Overall Winter Resilience Rankings

Each resort's Winter Resilience Score combines how many naturally skiable days it keeps at +2°C (20%), how often rain hits its snowpack (40%), how shaded its terrain is (30%) and how much snowmaking weather it keeps (10%). It's a ranking, not a grade: 100 = most resilient in the field, 50 = middle of the pack.

Region 220 resorts

	Resort
1	Arctic ValleyAK	100	164	87
2	A-BasinCO	100	162	100
3	AltaUT	99	168	95
4	Winter ParkCO	99	163	98
5	Kicking HorseBC	98	153	74
6	CopperCO	98	155	98
7	LovelandCO	97	166	100
8	SolitudeUT	97	162	90
9	Wolf CreekCO	96	157	99
10	SnowmassCO	96	151	84
11	Apex MountainBC	95	151	79
12	Crested ButteCO	95	151	97
13	BrightonUT	95	168	96
14	Antelope ButteWY	94	130	94
15	Sunlight MountainCO	94	142	82
16	SnowbirdUT	93	165	90
17	Marmot BasinAB	93	143	95
18	Beaver CreekCO	92	156	88
19	MonarchCO	92	156	99
20	Big SkyMT	91	159	94
21	BreckenridgeCO	91	155	97
22	Aspen HighlandsCO	90	143	80
23	Red LodgeMT	90	127	88
24	Sunshine VillageAB	89	158	91
25	Snowy RangeWY	89	147	95
26	TellurideCO	89	142	89
27	Aspen MountainCO	88	140	75
28	PowderhornCO	88	134	83
29	KeystoneCO	87	142	96
30	Anthony LakesOR	87	152	81
31	EldoraCO	86	136	93
32	White PineWY	86	115	89
33	Eagle PointUT	85	149	93
34	Brian HeadUT	85	141	92
35	TaosNM	84	133	89
36	VailCO	84	158	86
37	BlacktailMT	84	142	68
38	PanoramaBC	83	125	67
39	PomerelleID	83	150	82
40	Ski SmithersBC	82	159	85
41	Mt RoseNV	82	139	77
42	Harper MountainBC	81	123	69
43	Beaver MountainUT	81	146	75
44	SteamboatCO	80	158	81
45	Ski GranbyCO	80	131	84
46	Lost TrailMT	79	151	76
47	ButtermilkCO	79	121	72
48	Ski Santa FeNM	79	128	91
49	Park CityUT	78	141	68
50	Bridger BowlMT	78	153	84
51	MammothCA	77	133	77
52	Great DivideMT	77	115	78
53	Grand TargheeWY	76	167	85
54	PurgatoryCO	76	131	73
55	Mt AshlandOR	75	133	63
56	Lake LouiseAB	75	140	92
57	Powder KingBC	74	168	67
58	Silver StarBC	74	141	72
59	June MountainCA	74	116	68
60	KirkwoodCA	73	139	61
61	Mission RidgeWA	73	114	63
62	KimberleyBC	72	103	58
63	Red RiverNM	72	111	74
64	Castle MountainBC	71	137	64
65	IndianheadMI	71	111	52
66	Pebble CreekID	70	129	65
67	Maverick MountainMT	70	132	74
68	Sun PeaksBC	69	144	80
69	Loup LoupWA	69	106	53
70	FernieBC	68	142	56
71	Teton PassMT	68	137	76
72	Sun ValleyID	68	110	60
73	Snow KingWY	67	97	57
74	Deer ValleyUT	67	129	62
75	CucharaCO	66	105	83
76	BrundageID	66	146	60
77	ShowdownMT	65	113	86
78	DiscoveryMT	65	118	62
79	SnowbasinUT	64	136	63
80	Big WhiteBC	64	155	70
81	Angel FireNM	63	105	70
82	Powder MountainUT	63	145	64
83	Mt BachelorOR	63	126	53
84	Massif Du SudQC	62	123	54
85	Marshall MountainMT	62	62	32
86	WhitewaterBC	61	154	58
87	Saddleback MaineME	61	104	59
88	Red MountainBC	60	140	59
89	Bogus BasinID	60	124	55
90	Arizona SnowbowlAZ	59	103	79
91	SundanceUT	59	118	50
92	49 Degrees NorthWA	58	126	44
93	HeavenlyCA	58	110	55
94	Silver SummitAB	58	62	78
95	SchweitzerID	57	132	53
96	Jackson HoleWY	57	153	71
97	SugarloafME	56	93	57
98	Pajarito MountainNM	56	79	69
99	Montana SnowbowlMT	55	132	65
100	Silver MountainID	55	130	37
101	WhistlerBC	54	106	33
102	WhitefishMT	54	148	61
103	China PeakCA	53	103	45
104	Ski ApacheNM	53	85	66
105	Wildcat MountainNH	53	106	47
106	Mont SuttonQC	52	114	43
107	EaglecrestAK	52	113	5
108	Terry PeakSD	51	61	73
109	Stevens PassWA	51	148	36
110	White PassWA	50	122	25
111	NakiskaAB	50	39	79
112	RevelstokeBC	49	120	48
113	Moose MountainAK	49	49	87
114	Jay PeakVT	48	131	50
115	Cannon MountainNH	48	80	47
116	Soldier MountainID	47	75	49
117	TamarackID	47	115	41
118	Big PowderhornMI	47	104	42
119	Palisades TahoeCA	46	104	35
120	Ski Mystic Deer MountainSD	46	58	71
121	SipapuNM	45	76	58
122	Mt SpokaneWA	45	105	46
123	Kelly CanyonID	44	98	34
124	StoweVT	44	134	56
125	Alpine MeadowsCA	43	114	42
126	AlyeskaAK	43	137	26
127	Sugar BowlCA	42	120	30
128	Le MassifQC	42	111	51
129	Pico MountainVT	42	106	45
130	Whitecap MountainsWI	41	83	46
131	Diamond PeakNV	41	99	39
132	Mont-Sainte-AnneQC	40	103	54
133	Turner MountainMT	40	128	43
134	Marble MountainNL	39	87	39
135	Sierra-At-TahoeCA	39	107	29
136	Sandia PeakNM	38	55	66
137	Troll Ski ResortBC	38	87	51
138	Hemlock ResortBC	37	99	36
139	Dodge RidgeCA	37	104	27
140	NorthstarCA	37	93	26
141	Burke MountainVT	36	88	34
142	Lookout PassID	36	144	31
143	Shanty CreekMI	35	51	17
144	Crystal MountainWA	35	123	26
145	Smugglers NotchVT	34	115	40
146	Waterville ValleyNH	34	84	41
147	Whiteface MountainNY	33	85	52
148	Sunday RiverME	33	63	38
149	BorealCA	32	112	22
150	Giants RidgeMN	32	34	49
151	Lutsen MountainsMN	32	60	48
152	StonehamQC	31	91	44
153	Mad River GlenVT	31	106	38
154	Mont TremblantQC	30	84	42
155	Bretton WoodsNH	30	83	32
156	Bear ValleyCA	29	98	22
157	SugarbushVT	29	101	37
158	TimberlineOR	28	125	47
159	Spout SpringsOR	28	86	11
160	Mount BohemiaMI	27	122	40
161	Shames MountainBC	27	151	29
162	StrattonVT	26	72	33
163	KillingtonVT	26	87	35
164	Warner CanyonOR	26	50	12
165	Mont OrfordQC	25	55	30
166	Afton AlpsMN	25	0	25
167	Gore MountainNY	24	56	32
168	Nubs NobMI	24	61	24
169	SnoqualmieWA	23	96	1
170	Donner Ski RanchCA	23	108	15
171	Shawness PeakME	22	31	19
172	HomewoodCA	22	85	6
173	Cypress MountainBC	21	95	5
174	Pine MountainMI	21	10	37
175	Boyne MountainMI	21	52	18
176	WillametteOR	20	106	11
177	Mt ShastaCA	20	93	15
178	Boyne HighlandsMI	19	57	17
179	Soda SpringsCA	19	95	3
180	OkemoVT	18	57	28
181	Cranmore MountainNH	18	34	21
182	AttitashNH	17	49	18
183	GunstockNH	17	35	13
184	Loon MountainNH	16	54	20
185	Mt LemmonAZ	16	28	27
186	Mount SunapeeNH	16	19	15
187	Mount WashingtonBC	15	112	11
188	Mount SnowVT	15	53	20
189	Bromley MountainVT	14	47	28
190	Ragged MounainNH	14	19	14
191	Granite PeakWI	13	9	31
192	Mt Hood MeadowsOR	13	113	23
193	Caberfae PeaksMI	12	34	19
194	Mt BakerWA	12	137	5
195	Ski BromontQC	11	30	12
196	Crystal Mountain MiMI	11	42	16
197	HoodooOR	11	100	3
198	Windham MountainNY	10	21	13
199	Blue MountainON	10	17	10
200	BluewoodWA	9	82	2
201	Bear MountainCA	9	6	9
202	Hunter MountainNY	8	25	9
203	Devils HeadWI	8	6	14
204	Mt BaldyCA	7	27	7
205	Greek PeakNY	7	13	10
206	Swain ResortNY	6	20	16
207	Snow SummitCA	6	4	6
208	Mountain HighCA	5	18	8
209	Mount SeymourBC	5	95	1
210	Berkshire EastMA	5	13	2
211	Labrador MountainNY	4	16	8
212	BousquetMA	4	5	4
213	Snow ValleyCA	3	15	4
214	Holiday ValleyNY	3	37	24
215	Kissing BridgeNY	2	35	21
216	Dry HillNY	2	14	7
217	Grouse MountainBC	1	80	0
218	Snowshoe MountainWV	1	28	23
219	Seven SpringsPA	0	8	21
220	Mt Hood SkibowlOR	0	56	0

Tap a column heading to sort. Tap a resort for its full climate profile.

How the rankings work

40 winters of real weather. Hourly temperature, humidity, pressure and precipitation from the ERA5-Land reanalysis (1986–2026), adjusted to each resort's base, mid-mountain and peak elevation.
A day-by-day snowpack. Snow piles up, melts on warm days, and gets eaten away by rain, using a simplified version of the snowmelt model the U.S. National Weather Service uses for river forecasting. Checked against 40 years of real snowpack measurements at 105 SNOTEL stations, where it lands within about a week of the real season length.
Warming stress tests, not forecasts.

i

When might +1°C and +2°C happen?

Roughly +1°C by the mid 2030s and +2°C around 2050 for North American ski country — sooner if emissions keep rising, possibly never if they fall fast. It's already about 0.7°C warmer than the 1986–2026 average these numbers start from.

These are local winter warming above the average of the 1986–2026 winters we rebuilt (centered around 2006), not the global “1.5°C / 2°C above pre-industrial” targets, which start from the 1800s. The world has warmed about 1.37°C since pre-industrial times and is warming about 0.27°C per decade (Indicators of Global Climate Change 2025); North America's land warms roughly 1.5× faster than that, fastest in winter (U.S. National Climate Assessment). A rough guide, not a forecast: real timing depends on future emissions and varies by region and year.

The same winters replayed 1°C warmer (roughly the mid 2030s) and 2°C warmer (around 2050) show which resorts are most sensitive to warming.
Natural snow only. Snowmaking keeps many resorts (especially in the East and Midwest) open longer than their natural-snow numbers suggest; that's why snowmaking weather is its own factor.