Vail snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Colorado, USA · 2,475m to 3,528m

Over the last 10 seasons Vail, USA has averaged 331cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 110cm, 1 powder day and 20 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 5 December to 29 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Vail

331 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
110 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
1
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
20
Bluebird days
sun after snow
5
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
163
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Vail, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan49 cm66 cm1mm7.4 h-4° / -16°0.02.40.0
Feb53 cm83 cm1mm8.4 h-3° / -15°0.12.80.0
Mar51 cm93 cm1mm9.9 h1° / -11°0.13.30.1
Apr56 cm87 cm1mm11.3 h4° / -8°0.13.70.3
May39 cm61 cm11mm12.6 h10° / -3°0.13.54.2
Jun6 cm10 cm26mm13.5 h16° / 0°0.00.56.6
Jul0 cm0 cm60mm13.3 h21° / 4°0.00.013.0
Aug0 cm0 cm53mm12.5 h20° / 4°0.00.011.7
Sept5 cm0 cm31mm11.4 h16° / 1°0.00.27.6
Oct34 cm6 cm7mm9.8 h8° / -7°0.32.51.9
Nov37 cm17 cm1mm8.2 h1° / -13°0.11.90.1
Dec47 cm39 cm1mm7.2 h-3° / -16°0.22.40.1

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
2025/26leanest257 cm106 cm019128
2024/25315 cm103 cm016183
2023/24344 cm108 cm121160
2022/23368 cm125 cm120178
2021/22356 cm99 cm124159
2020/21294 cm82 cm015126
2019/20302 cm117 cm116192
2018/19best423 cm145 cm028202
2017/18313 cm100 cm222129
2016/17344 cm119 cm119173
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 3000m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.
  • This resort tops out at 3002m, above what the reanalysis terrain model resolves, so the "Top" figures describe high terrain at 3000m rather than the summit itself.

How Vail compares

Measured against 39 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
331 cm
Ahead of 64% of resortsMedian 272 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
above average
110 cm
Ahead of 74% of resortsMedian 83 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
below average
1
Ahead of 33% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
well above average
20
Ahead of 87% of resortsMedian 9

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
5
Driest of every resort we compareMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well above average
163
Ahead of 82% of resortsMedian 114

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Vail

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
5 December
Season ends
29 May
Days of cover
177 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
March
93cm average depth
Most new snow
April
56cm and 0.1 powder days
Best bluebird odds
April
3.7 bluebird days, 11.3h sun a day
Wettest month
May
4.2 rain days

Is Vail a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable baseplenty of bluebird daysvery little raina long season

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

Figures are modelled at 3000m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Vail snow record in detail

How much snow does Vail get?

Vail averages 331cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is above average: more snow than 64% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 272cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2018/19 with 423cm, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 257cm — a difference of 166cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 257cm.

April is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 56cm and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Vail?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Vail the snowpack peaks at an average of 110cm each season. That is above average, deeper than 74% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 83cm.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 93cm through the month and topping out around 107cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Vail get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Vail averages 1 powder day a season. That is below average, more powder days than 33% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

April has the most, 0.1 on average.

How often does Vail get bluebird days?

Vail averages 20 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 87% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 9.

April is the best month for it, averaging 3.7 bluebird days and 11.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Vail?

At mid-mountain Vail sees an average of 5 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 0% of the 39 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 4.2 rain days and 11mm on average.

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

Vail typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 5 December through to 29 May, which works out at roughly 177 days of skiable cover in an average year. 163 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is well above average compared with the 39 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

For the deepest base, go in March; for the most new snow, April; for fresh snow with sunshine, April.

Comparisons use 39 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 Vail are taken at 3000m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Vail 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.

Vail in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Vail: the base averages 17cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It brings 37cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -13°C, with 8.2 hours of sunshine a day and 1.9 bluebird days.

Vail in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 39cm and deepening towards its March peak. It brings 47cm of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are -3°C and lows -16°C, with 7.2 hours of sunshine a day and 2.4 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Vail in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 66cm. It brings 49cm of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -16°C, with 7.4 hours of sunshine a day and 2.4 bluebird days.

Vail in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 83cm. 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 -3°C and lows -15°C, with 8.4 hours of sunshine a day and 2.8 bluebird days.

Vail in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Vail is at its deepest, averaging 93cm through the month and peaking around 107cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 51cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -11°C, with 9.9 hours of sunshine a day and 3.3 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Vail.

Vail in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 87cm — only a little down on the March peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 56cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 4°C and lows -8°C, with 11.3 hours of sunshine a day and 3.7 bluebird days, the most of any month.

Vail in May

Late season

In May the base averages 61cm, past its March peak of 93cm and thinning. It brings 39cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 10°C and lows -3°C, with 12.6 hours of sunshine a day and 3.5 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.2 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Vail compares with nearby resorts

Of Vail and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Vail ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 331cm a season. Steamboat gets more; Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Aspen Snowmass get less.

Steamboat has the most powder days (2 a season, against 1 here); Steamboat builds the deepest base (123cm against 110cm); and Vail also gets the most bluebird days.

Each resort is measured at its own mid-mountain height, so part of any difference is altitude: a resort modelled 500m higher will usually hold more snow. The table shows the height each figure comes from.

Ten-year snow averages for Vail and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Vail—3000m331cm110cm120
Beaver Creek13 km2982m311cm109cm018
Breckenridge34 km3000m260cm99cm011
Aspen Snowmass63 km3000m296cm110cm115
Steamboat98 km2662m379cm123cm220

Distances are straight-line. Season averages, November to May, over the last ten winters.

More on Vail

Ski resorts near Vail

Distances are straight-line, not by road.