Vail snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Colorado, USA · 8,120ft to 11,575ft

Over the last 10 seasons Vail, USA has averaged 130in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 43in, 1 powder day and 20 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around December 5 to May 29.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Vail

130 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
43 in
Peak depth
typical season high
1
Powder days
6in+ in a day
20
Bluebird days
sun after snow
5
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
163
Skiable days
12in+ 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
Jan19 in26 in0in7.4 h24° / 3°0.02.40.0
Feb21 in33 in0in8.4 h26° / 5°0.12.80.0
Mar20 in37 in0in9.9 h34° / 11°0.13.30.1
Apr22 in34 in0.1in11.3 h40° / 17°0.13.70.3
May15 in24 in0.4in12.6 h49° / 26°0.13.54.2
Jun2 in4 in1in13.5 h61° / 32°0.00.56.6
Jul0 in0 in2.3in13.3 h69° / 39°0.00.013.0
Aug0 in0 in2.1in12.5 h68° / 39°0.00.011.7
Sep2 in0 in1.2in11.4 h61° / 33°0.00.27.6
Oct14 in2 in0.3in9.8 h46° / 20°0.32.51.9
Nov14 in7 in0in8.2 h34° / 8°0.11.90.1
Dec19 in15 in0in7.2 h26° / 4°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
2025/26leanest101 in42 in019128
2024/25124 in41 in016183
2023/24135 in43 in121160
2022/23145 in49 in120178
2021/22140 in39 in124159
2020/21116 in32 in015126
2019/20119 in46 in116192
2018/19best166 in57 in028202
2017/18123 in39 in222129
2016/17135 in47 in119173
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 9,843ft, 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 9,849ft, above what the reanalysis terrain model resolves, so the "Top" figures describe high terrain at 9,843ft 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
130 in
Ahead of 64% of resortsMedian 107 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
above average
43 in
Ahead of 74% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

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

Days with 6in 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 0.04in or more of rain, not snow.

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

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Vail

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

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
December 5
Season ends
May 29
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
37in average depth
Most new snow
April
22in 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 9,843ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Vail snow record in detail

How much snow does Vail get?

Vail averages 130in 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 107in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2018/19 with 166in, and the leanest was 2025/26 with 101in — a difference of 65in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 101in.

April is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 22in 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 43in each season. That is above average, deeper than 74% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 37in through the month and topping out around 42in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Vail get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in 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 4in 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 0.04in 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 0.4in on average.

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

Vail typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around December 5 through to May 29, 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 9,843ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 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 7in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It brings 15in of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 34°F and lows 8°F, 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 15in and deepening towards its March peak. It brings 19in of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 26°F and lows 4°F, 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 26in. It brings 19in of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 24°F and lows 3°F, 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 33in. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 21in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 26°F and lows 5°F, 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 37in through the month and peaking around 42in in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 20in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 34°F and lows 11°F, 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 34in — only a little down on the March peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 22in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 40°F and lows 17°F, 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 24in, past its March peak of 37in and thinning. It brings 15in of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 49°F and lows 26°F, 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 130in 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 (48in against 43in); 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 1,640ft 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—9,843ft130in43in120
Beaver Creek8 mi9,783ft122in43in018
Breckenridge21 mi9,843ft102in39in011
Aspen Snowmass39 mi9,843ft117in43in115
Steamboat61 mi8,734ft149in48in220

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.