Is the Ski Season Saved? Massive Snowfall Inbound for California and More

A wet, active pattern is expected to continue through December 27, 2025, but snow is eventually expected to fall at ski resorts across California, Utah, the Northern Rockies, and the peaks of the Pacific Northwest.

The weekend, December 20-21, 2025, starts with relatively warm storms in California and Utah, producing deep but denser snow at times, while Whistler in British Columbia stays cold enough for consistently higher-quality turns.

By Wednesday into Friday of next week, the Sierra will flip colder with the biggest, most skiable storm cycle of the period, especially at Mammoth Mountain and Kirkwood Mountain Resort, while Utah will add smaller but improving shots of snow late week.

Many Pacific Northwest ski areas in this forecast are currently closed, although Crystal Mountainjust announced intentions to open, limiting true storm-chasing options there.

Keep reading for a storm breakdown at notable ski resorts, daily forecasts, and more.

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Ski Resort Snowfall Forecast (Dec. 18-26, 2025)

*Keep in mind that these storms are still pretty far out (5-7 days), so these forecasted snowfall totals can, and will, shift as the pattern approaches.

• Kirkwood, CA (Open, conditions dependent): 49–90 inches
• Mammoth Mountain, CA (Open): 38–76 inches
• Sugar Bowl, CA (Temp closed): 37–70 inches
• Palisades Tahoe, CA (Limited terrain open): 33–63 inches
• Mt. Baker Ski Area, WA (Closed): 40–63 inches
• Mt. Rose, NV (Open): 23–44 inches
• Northstar, CA (Limited terrain open): 21–43 inches
• Whistler Blackcomb, BC (Open): 25–41 inches
• The Summit at Snoqualmie, WA (Closed): 25–41 inches
• Grand Targhee, WY (Open): 22–40 inches

The Good, Bad, and Wildcards

Good

Colder air and lowering snow levels arrive in California midweek, turning a long storm cycle into a higher-quality, more consistent powder producer Wednesday through Friday (December 24-26, 2025), with Mammoth and Kirkwood leading the way. Whistler stays reliably cold with frequent refreshers and several periods of moderate-to-fluffy snow.

Bad

Early-week storms (December 20-23, 2025) in California and Utah run warm with higher snow levels and low snow-to-liquid ratios, so expect heavier, denser snow at times, especially during the weekend and into Monday. Wind is a recurring issue in the Sierra, with several periods of very strong gusts that can knock down snow quality and trigger upper-mountain holds.

Wildcards

Storm pacing is steady but not uniform, with multiple pulses and short lulls that can shift the “best” window by half a day. In the Sierra and Great Basin, small changes in snow level timing will determine whether the lower mountain skis like dense powder or starts flirting with mixed precipitation at the base.

Daily Forecast

Saturday, December 20

Best quality is Whistler, stacking 3–5 inches from Friday night plus Saturday daytime with SLR around 14 for lighter, drier turns and low wind. Utah resorts (Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, Solitude, Powder Mountain, Park City, Deer Valley) see only modest totals in this window, generally 3–5 inches where it falls, and it trends denser with SLR near 9–11.

Sunday, December 21

Whistler stays in the driver’s seat again with 5–9 inches (Saturday night plus Sunday daytime) at moderate density. A small but very high-quality option is Banff Sunshine with 2–4 inches at SLR near 19.

Monday, December 22

California goes bigger on totals, led by Kirkwood with 8–14 inches and Palisades Tahoe with 7–12 inches (Sunday night plus Monday daytime) mid-mountain and above, but the snow will incredibly dense with SLR near 4–5 and elevated snow levels (totals will be highly elevation-dependent). Neither of these mountains have much terrain open, anyway. If you want the better snow feel over pure depth, Whistler’s 4–8 inches lands colder with SLR near 14, often delivering the best turns despite smaller totals.

Tuesday, December 23

This is the cleanest chase day of the early week: Whistler pulls 5–9 inches (Monday night plus Tuesday daytime) with SLR near 14 and light wind. Elsewhere, totals generally fall below true chase thresholds.

Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)

The Sierra turns into the main event. Mammoth is the top play with 9–18 inches (Tuesday night plus Wednesday daytime), SLR near 11, and manageable wind compared with some neighbors. Kirkwood (7–15 inches) and Palisades (5–10 inches) also deliver, but stronger gusts can compromise snow quality and terrain access.

Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day)

The storm keeps rolling in California. Mammoth leads with 9–19 inches (Wednesday night plus Thursday daytime) and steadily improving quality. Kirkwood (7–16 inches) and Palisades (6–14 inches) remain strong, but wind remains a real limiter at times. Utah improves modestly with 4–9 inches at Alta, Snowbird, and Brighton, though it still leans denser with SLR near 7–8.

Friday, December 26

Peak chase day of the forecast window. Mammoth stacks 10–22 inches (Thursday night plus Friday daytime) with SLR near 14 and colder temps for much better skiing. Kirkwood (9–22 inches) and Palisades (7–17 inches) are also excellent on depth; just watch for stronger wind exposure at times.

Saturday, December 27 and Beyond

Snow will likely taper into the following week. More details to come.

Regional Details

California

A long storm train targets the Sierra with multiple waves. Early in the cycle, snow levels run high and snow comes in dense, but colder air gradually lowers snow levels into midweek, and quality improves sharply by Wednesday through Friday. The standout totals pile up at Kirkwood (49–90 inches) and Mammoth (38–76 inches), with strong other totals at Palisades (33–63 inches), Northstar (21–43 inches), and Mt. Rose, NV (23–44 inches). Winds are a recurring story, especially in more exposed zones, and several periods feature very strong gusts that can impact lift operations and create wind-affected surfaces even as totals climb.

Washington, Oregon, Whistler

Most areas in this set are closed, but the weather remains active with frequent mountain snowfall opportunities through the week. Snow levels periodically rise and fall with each wave, and the higher terrain stays favored for accumulation. The open exception is Whistler (25–41 inches), which stays consistently cold with low snow levels and a steady cadence of refreshers, making it the most reliable quality option outside California’s midweek peak.

Northern Rockies

The pattern stays unsettled with multiple shots of snow and occasional warmer intrusions that can nudge snow levels up before colder air filters back in. Grand Targhee (22–40 inches) and Jackson Hole (22–37 inches) lead the deeper totals among the open options, with several meaningful midweek and late-week periods. Farther north, Banff Sunshine and Revelstoke lean into lighter-but-higher-quality snow at colder temperatures, often producing very fluffy turns even when totals are smaller.

Utah

Storms are warmer overall, keeping snow levels high at times and producing denser snowfall during the weekend and early week. The better midweek window arrives Wednesday night through Friday with a more meaningful refresh, where Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, and Powder Mountain see their best combined night-plus-day opportunities, and snow quality gradually improves as temperatures trend cooler late week.

Extended Outlook

The active pattern looks likely to continue beyond December 27, with continued storm chances focused on the West Coast and periodic inland impacts, while temperatures often trend milder than normal outside the highest terrain.

Related: Crystal Mountain Is Finally Opening, but Parking Reservations Are Going Fast