Rocky Mountain Snow Report
Week of October 5, 2026 · See this week's report
Castle Mountain expects 8 in. with opening still weeks away
No resorts are in season yet, but early snow favors the Canadian Rockies and Montana in the next 7 days. Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico average 0 in. and are best avoided for now.
The strongest early signals are in the next 7 days, led by Castle Mountain with 8 in. and Banff Sunshine with 6 in. of summit snow. Red Lodge Mountain and Panorama each show 5 in., with 15 of 58 resorts at 1 in. or more.
None of the 58 resorts is in its usual season yet, so there is no lift-served skiing to plan around. Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico each average 0 in. of summit snow in the 7-day forecast.
The 16-day outlook is a trend, with Castle Mountain at 8 in. and Winter Park at 7 in. The next usual opening dates are Lake Louise on Nov 6 and Banff Sunshine on Nov 8, so track updates before making plans.
Tables from Veabird's forecast data. Text written by AI (Muse Spark) from those numbers and checked against them before publishing.
Most snow in the forecast
Snowfall forecast at the summit, in inches. Amounts are reliable about 3 days out, fair to a week, and a trend after that.
| Resort | Area | Next 7 days | Next 16 days | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Mountain | Canadian Rockies | 8 in. | 8 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Banff Sunshine | Canadian Rockies | 6 in. | 3 in. | Opens ~Nov 8 |
| Red Lodge Mountain | Montana | 5 in. | 7 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Panorama | Canadian Rockies | 5 in. | 2 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Bridger Bowl | Montana | 4 in. | 7 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Mt Norquay | Canadian Rockies | 4 in. | 5 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Tamarack | Idaho | 4 in. | 1 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Big Sky | Montana | 3 in. | 4 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Silverton Mountain | Colorado | 2 in. | 7 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Marmot Basin | Canadian Rockies | 2 in. | 3 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Brundage Mountain | Idaho | 2 in. | 2 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Kimberley | Canadian Rockies | 2 in. | 0 in. | Opens ~Nov 22 |
Opening dates
Usual opening dates; resorts announce the real date as snow and snowmaking allow.
| Resort | Area | Usually opens | Snow next 7 days | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Louise | Canadian Rockies | Nov 6 | 1 in. | Ikon Pass |
| Banff Sunshine | Canadian Rockies | Nov 8 | 6 in. | Ikon Pass |
| Castle Mountain | Canadian Rockies | Nov 22 | 8 in. | – |
| Red Lodge Mountain | Montana | Nov 22 | 5 in. | – |
| Panorama | Canadian Rockies | Nov 22 | 5 in. | – |
| Bridger Bowl | Montana | Nov 22 | 4 in. | – |
| Tamarack | Idaho | Nov 22 | 4 in. | – |
| Mt Norquay | Canadian Rockies | Nov 22 | 4 in. | – |
| Big Sky | Montana | Nov 22 | 3 in. | Ikon Pass |
| Silverton Mountain | Colorado | Nov 22 | 2 in. | – |
| Brundage Mountain | Idaho | Nov 22 | 2 in. | – |
| Kimberley | Canadian Rockies | Nov 22 | 2 in. | Epic Pass |
| Marmot Basin | Canadian Rockies | Nov 22 | 2 in. | – |
| Montana Snowbowl | Montana | Nov 22 | 1 in. | – |
The Rockies by area
Average summit snow forecast for the next 7 days across each area's resorts, the snowiest resort, and how last season compared with normal.
| Area | Resorts | Open | Avg. next 7 days | Snowiest | Last season vs normal | Weekly trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 19 | 0 | 0 in. | Silverton Mountain (2 in.) | 76% | |
| Canadian Rockies | 15 | 0 | 2 in. | Castle Mountain (8 in.) | 109% | |
| Utah | 10 | 0 | 0 in. | – | 91% | |
| Montana | 5 | 0 | 3 in. | Red Lodge Mountain (5 in.) | 103% | |
| Idaho | 5 | 0 | 1 in. | Tamarack (4 in.) | 83% | |
| Wyoming | 2 | 0 | 0 in. | – | 89% | |
| New Mexico | 2 | 0 | 0 in. | – | 61% |
How last week's forecast did
Veabird's day-ahead snowfall forecast against what the nearest SNOTEL snow station measured.
About this report
This week's skiing in the Rockies: where the snow is falling, which days grade best, opening dates and how the forecast did, resort by resort. It comes out every Monday and covers Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico and the Canadian Rockies. Grades run from A+ (best) to F; they weigh the things that make or break a trip, not just the weather.
Sources: Open-Meteo forecast models (ECMWF, GFS, ICON, GEM and regional models); USDA NRCS SNOTEL snow stations; Veabird snow model and crowd calendar. Forecasts are estimates, not safety guidance.
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