Looking for Powder? These Are the 8 Best Places to Ski in December

If you’re a skier, you’ve likely heard the news by now. Some mountains are enjoying a speedy introduction to winter; others aren’t. 

This season, in particular, the divide feels more dramatic. In the Northeast, over a hundred inches of snow have fallen at places like Jay Peak and Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont. Meanwhile, across the West Coast, from California to Washington, loads of popular destinations haven’t opened yet. The problem? You guessed it: warm temperatures and rain.

The disparity means that you’ll need to be pickier when planning where to ski this month. Still, there’s plenty of powder to go around, mainly in western Canada and the Northeast. 

These are the eight best places to ski in December 2025. As always, though, check the conditions before planning a strike mission—the weather can change fast. 

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1. Banff Sunshine, Alberta

Washington has had a tough run with wet, rainy weather pushing back ski resort opening dates. But just over the border, in Canada, colder temperatures have allowed the mountains there to benefit from the atmospheric moisture. Among them is Banff Sunshine, Alberta, which has surpassed nine feet of seasonal snow at higher elevations. Much of the mountain is open and, if the wintry conditions keep up, Banff skiers should be enjoying a white Christmas. Why not join them?

2. Lake Louise, Alberta

Banff Sunshine’s neighbor, Lake Louise Ski Resort, is swimming in it, too. “Powder chasers, assemble!” the ski resort wrote at the beginning of a recent snow report. “Looks like Mother Nature hit the ‘snow’ button again.” The totals were impressive, hitting almost 40 inches in a week. If you needed another excuse to hoof it up to Lake Louise, the resort opened a new chairlift last winter—the Pipestone Express—with heated, bubble seats. Being comfier than usual never hurts.

3. Revelstoke Mountain Resort, British Columbia

The powder train is rolling through British Columbia, too. How does 125 inches of seasonal snow—plus Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s famous terrain—sound? Pretty good, we’d say. The mountain’s fresh off a snowy week, with more in the forecast.

“Winter is officially in full swing here in Revelstoke,” Revelstoke wrote in a recent social media post. “Keep it coming.”

4. Jay Peak, Vermont

The ski season at Jay Peak is off to a memorable start. The resort cruised past 100 inches of seasonal snowfall in November, and the powder has continued to stack up since then—feet of it. By early December, the Vermont resort had nearly tallied half of its average seasonal snowfall total. 

That, of course, means better snow and more trails to choose from. Much of the mountain is open, including more than 70 runs. As far as skiing this December goes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to do it out East, let alone in North America. Jay Peak, similar to the previous season, is living up to its Northeast powder haven reputation.

5. Stowe Mountain Resort, Vermont

The Northeast snow isn’t limited only to Jay. Plenty of other mountains in the state are building momentum, including Stowe Mountain Resort. The ski resort skipped right over the early-season phase, jumping right into the good stuff with light snow and cold temperatures aplenty.

Related: Another Vermont Ski Resort Just Passed 100 Inches of Snow This Season

6. Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont 

Another member of the Northeast 100-inch club is Smugglers’ Notch. It officially crept past that milestone on December 11, after 17 inches of snow fell in the previous five days. The ski resort is continuing to open terrain as the weeks pass, recently adding beginner trails to the lineup on Morse Mountain. Hopefully, it won’t be long before skiers are diving through classic gladed runs like Freefall and the Black Hole.

7. Killington, Vermont

Killington‘s snowfall totals aren’t quite as gobsmacking as Jay Peak, Smugglers’ Notch, and Stowe. Still, thanks to chilly weather and concentrated snowmaking, the resort is getting up to speed fast. Natural flakes are helping, too. A storm that dropped ten inches of snow stopped by Killington recently, and the resort is continuing to expand the number of open trails. Be patient, though. The resort spans about 1,500 acres when it’s open wall-to-wall, making it the largest in Vermont—operations team, then, has a lot of runs to get through.

8. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia

Finicky freezing levels have led to mixed conditions at Whistler Blackcomb. At the time of writing this, the ski resort’s base area is devoid of snow. Thankfully, Whistler Blackcomb has verticality. There are thousands of feet between its base and summit, which means that, up high, snow, as opposed to rain, is falling. The coverage’s solid, and several classic lifts, like the 7th Heaven Express, are already running. Given the time of year, though, you’ll want to watch out for rocks, advice that applies no matter where you’re skiing in December.

Related: “Skiing Is Supposed To Be Fun”—A Lesson Every Sports Dad Could Learn From