Big Sky snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Montana, USA · 2,286m to 3,418m

Over the last 10 seasons Big Sky, USA has averaged 349cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 121cm, 1 powder day and 17 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 21 November to 30 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Big Sky

349 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
121 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
1
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
17
Bluebird days
sun after snow
10
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
184
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Big Sky, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan37 cm69 cm0mm6.2 h-8° / -15°0.10.80.0
Feb53 cm91 cm0mm7.1 h-7° / -16°0.12.00.0
Mar51 cm97 cm2mm8.9 h-3° / -12°0.12.60.3
Apr71 cm101 cm4mm10.0 h0° / -10°0.35.71.2
May53 cm70 cm26mm11.6 h5° / -4°0.33.57.9
Jun23 cm5 cm67mm12.7 h11° / 0°0.31.413.3
Jul0 cm0 cm63mm14.2 h19° / 6°0.00.113.0
Aug1 cm0 cm66mm12.2 h17° / 5°0.00.013.0
Sept14 cm1 cm49mm10.6 h12° / 1°0.00.69.4
Oct45 cm9 cm20mm8.4 h3° / -7°0.42.03.9
Nov43 cm25 cm1mm6.8 h-3° / -12°0.01.90.3
Dec42 cm48 cm0mm5.7 h-7° / -15°0.00.60.0

Averages across the last 10 seasons. Powder, bluebird and rain columns are the average number of such days per month.

Season by season

SeasonSnowfallPeak depthPowder daysBluebird daysSkiable days
2025/26302 cm190 cm213189
2024/25403 cm106 cm117192
2023/24334 cm81 cm216144
2022/23325 cm148 cm212199
2021/22356 cm110 cm010168
2020/21leanest300 cm98 cm012163
2019/20334 cm117 cm020211
2018/19338 cm121 cm112203
2017/18best428 cm133 cm028201
2016/17367 cm110 cm131174
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 15cm of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 10cm of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 1mm of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 30cm of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 2852m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Big Sky compares

Measured against 40 other resorts across 18 countries, each analysed exactly the same way. The line down the middle of each bar is the median.

Snowfall per season
above average
349 cm
Ahead of 73% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
121 cm
Ahead of 83% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
below average
1
Ahead of 35% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
well above average
17
Ahead of 78% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
10
Drier than 92% of resortsMedian 32

Days with 1mm or more of rain, not snow.

Skiable days
well above average
184
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Big Sky

Typical stretch holding 30cm or more of settled snow, averaged over the record.

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
21 November
Season ends
30 May
Days of cover
192 days

When to go

These rarely land in the same month, so it is worth deciding which one matters most before you book.

Deepest base
April
101cm average depth
Most new snow
April
71cm and 0.3 powder days
Best bluebird odds
April
5.7 bluebird days, 10.0h sun a day
Wettest month
May
7.9 rain days

Is Big Sky a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable baseplenty of bluebird daysvery little raina long season

On 10 years of record, Big Sky stands out for heavy snowfall, a deep, reliable base, plenty of bluebird days, very little rain and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 2852m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Big Sky snow record in detail

How much snow does Big Sky get?

Big Sky averages 349cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is above average: more snow than 73% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 283cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2017/18 with 428cm, and the leanest was 2020/21 with 300cm — a difference of 127cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 302cm.

April is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 71cm and 14 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Big Sky?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Big Sky the snowpack peaks at an average of 121cm each season. That is well above average, deeper than 83% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in April, averaging 101cm through the month and topping out around 113cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Big Sky get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Big Sky averages 1 powder day a season. That is below average, more powder days than 35% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

April has the most, 0.3 on average.

How often does Big Sky get bluebird days?

Big Sky averages 17 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is well above average, more than 78% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

April is the best month for it, averaging 5.7 bluebird days and 10.0 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Big Sky?

At mid-mountain Big Sky sees an average of 10 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 8% of the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way see fewer wet days, against a median of 32.

May is the wettest month of the season, with 7.9 rain days and 26mm on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Big Sky, and when does the season end?

Big Sky typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 21 November through to 30 May, which works out at roughly 192 days of skiable cover in an average year. 184 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is well above average compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

April has it all at Big Sky: the deepest base, the most new snow and the most bluebird days fall in the same month.

Comparisons use 40 resorts across 18 countries, each measured over 5 recent seasons at mid-mountain height. Glaciated locations, where the model never melts the snow out, are excluded. Figures for Big Sky are taken at 2852m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Big Sky month by month

What to expect in each month of the season, from the same ten-year record. Figures are averages for mid-mountain; a good or poor winter can move them a long way.

Big Sky in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Big Sky: the base averages 25cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It brings 43cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -12°C, with 6.8 hours of sunshine a day and 1.9 bluebird days.

Big Sky in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 48cm and deepening towards its April peak. It brings 42cm of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -7°C and lows -15°C, with 5.7 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Big Sky in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 69cm. It brings 37cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -8°C and lows -15°C, with 6.2 hours of sunshine a day.

Big Sky in February

Base building

Through February the base keeps building, to an average of 91cm. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 53cm of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -7°C and lows -16°C, with 7.1 hours of sunshine a day and 2 bluebird days.

Big Sky in March

Base building

By March the base is close to its April peak, averaging 97cm. It brings 51cm of new snow in an average year, with 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -12°C, with 8.9 hours of sunshine a day and 2.6 bluebird days.

Big Sky in April

Best all round

April is when the base at Big Sky is at its deepest, averaging 101cm through the month and peaking around 113cm in a typical year. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 71cm of new snow on average, 14 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -10°C, with 10 hours of sunshine a day and 5.7 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Big Sky.

Big Sky in May

Late season

In May the base averages 70cm, past its April peak of 101cm and thinning. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 53cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 5°C and lows -4°C, with 11.6 hours of sunshine a day and 3.5 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 7.9 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

More on Big Sky

Ski resorts near Big Sky

Distances are straight-line, not by road.