60 Inches of Snow Forecasted Out West—Is Winter Finally Here?

A strong, multi-wave storm pattern will drive frequent snowfall across the Western United States and Canada through Sunday night, December 21, 2025, with the biggest overall totals in the Pacific Northwest, but there are limited storm chasing options because most resorts in this set remain closed.

The best open midweek powder target is Banff Sunshine, Alberta, on Wednesday, with Whistler also delivering a meaningful refresh and improving snow quality as snow levels drop late week.

In the Northern Rockies, the midweek system brings a wind-focused reset, then a warmer late-week push favors higher-elevation snowfall, but trends denser at times, especially Thursday night through the weekend in parts of Idaho and Wyoming.

Friday stands out for Wyoming’s Tetons, with the deepest new snow at Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole. Meanwhile, Revelstoke consistently offers the best snow quality setup, thanks to colder temperatures, low snow levels, and very light winds.

Expect wind to be the main spoiler around Wednesday in several interior locations, and again at times late week, which can reduce snow quality and limit upper-mountain exposure.

Keep reading for forecasted ski resort snow totals, daily forecasts, and more.

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Notable Snowfall Totals

Forecasted snowfall totals through Sunday, December 21, 2025. Each resort’s status has been marked in parentheses. Here’s hoping this storm delivers.

• Mt. Baker, Washington (Closed): 41 to 63 inches
• Stevens Pass, Washington (Closed): 36 to 54 inches
• Timberline, Oregon (Closed): 32 to 50 inches
• Crystal Mountain, Washington (Closed): 30 to 46 inches
• Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia (Open): 28 to 45 inches
• Snoqualmie Pass, Washington (Closed): 22 to 36 inches
• Grand Targhee, Wyoming (Open): 18 to 30 inches
• Jackson Hole, Wyoming (Open): 17 to 29 inches
• Brundage, Idaho (Temporarily Closed): 17 to 29 inches
• Mt. Bachelor, Oregon (Closed): 17 to 28 inches

Key Points

Good

Cold air pushes snow levels down sharply midweek in many areas, keeping mountain precipitation efficiently snowy and improving preservation where winds stay light. Canada looks especially favorable for high-quality snow, with very cold temperatures and consistently high snow-to-liquid ratios that support lighter, drier powder.

Bad

Strong winds remain the biggest quality risk, especially Tuesday night into Wednesday, with multiple locations seeing gust potential high enough to impact snow texture and upper-mountain exposure. Several late-week periods also feature higher snow levels in parts of Idaho and Wyoming, which can shift new snow toward denser, heavier conditions during the most productive precipitation windows.

Wildcards

Snow levels fluctuate sharply with each wave, so small timing differences in warm pushes versus colder post-frontal air will control whether new snow stays light or turns denser at mid-mountain elevations. Wind intensity and duration also matter, since even solid snowfall totals can ski poorly if ridgelines get scoured or snow gets heavily drifted.

Daily Forecast

Tuesday (12/16)

No true powder chase sets up today. Whistler (open with limited terrain) manages a light refresh of 3 to 4 inches through Tuesday daytime, but snow quality stays more moderate with snow levels near 3000 feet and temperatures near freezing. Most open Northern Rockies options only add a trace to about an inch during the day, so save your push for Wednesday.

Wednesday (12/17)

Wednesday is the best open midweek window, with Canada clearly leading for quality. Banff Sunshine stacks 8 to 11 inches from Tuesday night plus Wednesday daytime, with consistently fluffy snow (high snow-to-liquid ratios) and cold temperatures that preserve soft conditions. Whistler adds 7 to 10 inches over the same chase window with manageable winds and steadily lowering snow levels, making it the best open option in the Pacific Northwest set. Revelstoke collects 5 to 7 inches with very light winds, offering a clean, high-quality alternative. Expect wind to degrade conditions at several interior U.S. resorts today, where gusts peak high enough to knock down snow quality even when a few inches fall.

Thursday (12/18)

Whistler holds the strongest open chase on Thursday, building 5 to 8 inches from Wednesday night plus Thursday daytime with improving snow quality as temperatures cool and snow levels drop. Elsewhere, accumulations at open Northern Rockies resorts mostly stay too light to justify a dedicated powder chase, and several areas still deal with enough wind to keep conditions variable.

Friday (12/19)

Friday brings the best “quantity” day in the Tetons, but snow quality varies by location. Grand Targhee posts 6 to 10 inches and Jackson Hole adds 5 to 8 inches (Thursday night plus Friday daytime), but higher snow levels and moderate to strong winds favor denser snow and wind-affected surfaces, especially on exposed terrain. For the best overall skiing experience, Revelstoke remains the cleanest call: 3 to 6 inches of new snow combines with colder temperatures, very low snow levels, and minimal wind for better preservation and softer turns. Whistler also stays in play with 3 to 5 inches and light winds.

Saturday (12/20)

Saturday keeps the cycle going, but the best turns favor colder, lower-wind options. Whistler picks up 3 to 6 inches (Friday night plus Saturday daytime) with very light winds and snow quality trending toward fluffy powder, making it the top quality play. Grand Targhee (4 to 8 inches) and Jackson Hole (3 to 6 inches) offer more new snow, but wind and higher snow levels continue to lean conditions denser and more variable, so sheltered terrain and higher elevations ski best.

Sunday (12/21)

Whistler finishes the weekend strongest with 3 to 7 inches from Saturday night plus Sunday daytime, cold temperatures, low snow levels, and minimal wind that keep snow soft and consistent. The Tetons stay active but less concentrated, with 2 to 5 inches at both Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole for a smaller refresh rather than a full chase day. Revelstoke continues to add light snow and stays cold, supporting strong preservation even when new amounts stay modest.

Region-by-Region Details

Northern Rockies

A warm, moisture-rich push drives active precipitation early, then a sharp midweek change brings a rapid cool-down and widespread strong winds that can be more impactful than the snowfall totals at times. Several resorts see their strongest wind exposure around Wednesday, and that matters for snow quality: even where a few inches fall, gusty ridgelines can compact and drift snow quickly. Canada looks best for consistently high-quality powder, with Banff Sunshine stacking meaningful midweek snow in cold temperatures and very high snow-to-liquid ratios. Revelstoke stands out for ski quality across the whole window, staying cold with very low snow levels late week and exceptionally light winds that support soft snow preservation.

Late week turns more productive for the Tetons, but also trickier for snow quality as snow levels climb during key precipitation windows. Grand Targhee reaches 18 to 30 inches by Sunday night, and Jackson Hole totals 17 to 29 inches, with the best single chase window on Friday when both add their deepest new snow from Thursday night into Friday. Expect denser snow during the warmer pushes, and plan around wind exposure since gusts regularly rise into ranges that can rough up open bowls and ridgelines. Sun Valley and Whitefish also add meaningful snow through the weekend, but they carry higher variability from wind and snow-level swings.

PNW

The Pacific Northwest stays in a sustained storm cycle with repeated moisture surges and a strong wind event centered on Tuesday night into Wednesday. Snow levels drop to pass levels by early Wednesday and remain favorable for mountain snow much of the period, especially in Washington and British Columbia, where the totals run very high in this dataset. Mt Baker leads the entire board with 41 to 63 inches by Sunday night, with Stevens Pass at 36 to 54 inches, Crystal at 30 to 46 inches, and Snoqualmie Pass at 22 to 36 inches, but these are not chase options here because they are currently closed.

Whistler is the main open play in this region (limited terrain), and it benefits from a steady snowfall cadence plus a late-week trend toward colder temperatures and lower snow levels. Whistler totals 28 to 45 inches by Sunday night, with the best day-to-day chase windows on Wednesday (7 to 10 inches) and Thursday (5 to 8 inches), then a colder weekend that keeps the snow quality improving while winds stay light. Oregon locations in this set show frequent precipitation but also very strong winds and periods of higher snow levels, which points to denser snow and rougher upper-mountain conditions even when totals add up.

Extended Outlook

The broader pattern favors continued West Coast storminess beyond this window, with the strongest moisture focus shifting from California and the Southwest early to the Pacific Northwest later. Temperatures also lean mild overall, so snow-level swings remain the main watch item for snow quality during the next set of heavier pushes.

Related: Ski Resorts and Western Mountains Face “Snow Drought”