Alta snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Utah, USA · 8,501ft to 10,689ft

Over the last 10 seasons Alta, USA has averaged 178in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 58in, 4 powder days and 27 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around December 2 to May 27.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Alta

178 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
58 in
Peak depth
typical season high
4
Powder days
6in+ in a day
27
Bluebird days
sun after snow
12
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
169
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Alta, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan31 in35 in0in6.7 h23° / 10°1.03.20.1
Feb31 in42 in0in7.5 h23° / 10°0.74.30.1
Mar31 in49 in0.1in8.8 h29° / 17°0.65.60.4
Apr27 in45 in0.2in10.7 h35° / 20°1.04.21.4
May16 in23 in1in12.4 h44° / 29°0.23.48.6
Jun2 in2 in2in13.9 h59° / 41°0.00.210.1
Jul0 in0 in3.7in13.7 h69° / 53°0.00.014.6
Aug0 in0 in5.2in12.5 h66° / 50°0.00.015.4
Sep4 in0 in3.1in11.5 h58° / 41°0.00.611.5
Oct15 in1 in1.1in9.4 h42° / 27°0.52.55.4
Nov19 in5 in0.1in7.8 h32° / 17°0.62.70.9
Dec24 in17 in0.1in6.5 h25° / 11°0.33.50.7

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
2025/26151 in85 in432177
2024/25191 in49 in628177
2023/24209 in60 in635181
2022/23best263 in92 in1033208
2021/22145 in37 in414152
2020/21leanest122 in42 in015141
2019/20128 in52 in212169
2018/19213 in59 in332184
2017/18147 in35 in229120
2016/17211 in67 in739185
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 6in of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 4in of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 0.04in of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 12in of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 9,596ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Alta 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
well above average
178 in
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
58 in
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
above average
4
Ahead of 73% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
among the very best we track
27
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
12
Drier than 92% of resortsMedian 32

Days with 0.04in or more of rain, not snow.

Skiable days
well above average
169
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Alta

Typical stretch holding 12in or more of settled snow, averaged over the record.

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
December 2
Season ends
May 27
Days of cover
178 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
49in average depth
Most new snow
March
31in and 0.6 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
5.6 bluebird days, 8.8h sun a day
Wettest month
May
8.6 rain days

Is Alta a good place to ski or board?

heavy snowfalla deep, reliable basefrequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysvery little raina long season

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

Figures are modelled at 9,596ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Alta snow record in detail

How much snow does Alta get?

Alta averages 178in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well above average: more snow than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 111in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2022/23 with 263in, and the leanest was 2020/21 with 122in — a difference of 141in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 151in.

March is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 31in and 15 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Alta?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Alta the snowpack peaks at an average of 58in each season. That is well above average, deeper than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 49in through the month and topping out around 56in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Alta get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Alta averages 4 powder days a season. That is above average, more powder days than 73% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

March has the most, 0.6 on average.

How often does Alta get bluebird days?

Alta averages 27 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 4in or more of fresh snow. That is among the very best we track, more than 98% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

March is the best month for it, averaging 5.6 bluebird days and 8.8 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Alta?

At mid-mountain Alta sees an average of 12 days a season with 0.04in 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 8.6 rain days and 1in on average.

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

Alta typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around December 2 through to May 27, which works out at roughly 178 days of skiable cover in an average year. 169 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.

March has it all at Alta: 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 Alta are taken at 9,596ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Alta 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.

Alta in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 5in through the month. It brings 19in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are 32°F and lows 17°F, with 7.8 hours of sunshine a day and 2.7 bluebird days.

Alta in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 17in and deepening towards its March peak. It brings 24in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 25°F and lows 11°F, with 6.5 hours of sunshine a day and 3.5 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Alta in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 35in. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 31in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are 23°F and lows 10°F, with 6.7 hours of sunshine a day and 3.2 bluebird days.

Alta in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 42in. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 31in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 23°F and lows 10°F, with 7.5 hours of sunshine a day and 4.3 bluebird days.

Alta in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Alta is at its deepest, averaging 49in through the month and peaking around 56in in a typical year. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 31in of new snow on average, 15 snow days and 0.6 powder days. Average highs are 29°F and lows 17°F, with 8.8 hours of sunshine a day and 5.6 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Alta.

Alta in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 45in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 27in of new snow in an average year, with 12 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are 35°F and lows 20°F, with 10.7 hours of sunshine a day and 4.2 bluebird days.

Alta in May

Late season

In May the base averages 23in, past its March peak of 49in and thinning. It brings 16in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 44°F and lows 29°F, with 12.4 hours of sunshine a day and 3.4 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 8.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Alta compares with nearby resorts

Of Alta and the 3 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Alta ranks first for snowfall, with 178in a season. Every one of its neighbours gets less.

Alta has the most powder days of the group (4 a season); Alta builds the deepest base (58in at its peak); and Alta 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 1,640ft higher will usually hold more snow. The table shows the height each figure comes from.

Ten-year snow averages for Alta and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Alta—9,596ft178in58in427
Snowbird1 mi9,629ft178in53in427
Park City8 mi8,750ft139in52in222
Deer Valley9 mi8,232ft139in52in222

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

More on Alta

Ski resorts near Alta

Distances are straight-line, not by road.