Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort Surpasses 100 Inches of Seasonal Snowfall

The tale of two winters continues. Much of the West is desperate for snow. Meanwhile, Vermont is stacking up inch after inch.

At Smugglers’ Notch Resort, for instance, the season total just crept past 100 inches of snow. The powder came during a storm cycle that, over the past five days, deposited 17 inches. As a result, Smugglers’ Notch is spinning the Sterling Lift with access to 29 trails. The resort plans to open beginner terrain on Friday, December 12.

While there’s plenty of snow on the ground, Smugglers’ Notch takes a gradual approach to opening its ski terrain in the early season. Madonna Mountain, the largest of the resort’s three peaks, is not open at this time.

Keep reading for more about snow totals across Vermont.

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The story at Jay Peak, in northern Vermont, has proven a bit more dramatic. The mountain previously crested 100 inches. As of today, Thursday, December 11, 2025, it has seen 157 inches of seasonal snow, with more than two feet falling in the past week. 

Almost all of Jay Peak’s 82 named trails are now open. In the mountain’s snow report Thursday morning, Jay Peak noted plans to open the Rusch Park soon, “marking one of the earliest builds the team has pulled off in recent memory.”

“Add that to 35 freshly groomed trails, and the mountain is offering up a mix of soft turns, fast lines, and storm-refreshed snow pretty much everywhere you look,” the snow report continued.

How about Stowe Mountain Resort? Much the same. 90 inches so far. Plenty of slopes to choose from. Temperatures are dipping into the single digits at higher elevations.

Unsurprisingly, an approximate barometer for the quality of the Northeast ski season, the Mount Mansfield snow stake, has already had an off-the-charts moment.

The stake hit 50 inches of settled snow base earlier in the winter than ever before, according to WCAX. The latest recorded depth on Mount Mansfield was 52 inches—that’s 32 inches deeper than an average season.

WCAX also reported that the stake has only hit 50 inches during December in 18% of the seasons on record. Record keeping began in 1954. 

In short, out East, winter has arrived. To the Californians reading this, yes, we’re hoping for some more even snow distribution, too.

Related: How Many Pairs of Skis Do You Need? (Poll)