Northeast Ski Season Forecast 2026-27
The short answer: PassCast's simulations currently put Northeast below a typical season for 2026-27, with an average skiability of 44/100 across 32 mountains. Jay Peak (57), Stowe (54), Sugarloaf (54) lead the region today. Forecast-driven ski pass planning starts with where the snow will be — run any of these mountains through the Pass Finder before you buy.
The regional readfrom the 2026-27 outlook · compiled 2026-07-06
Strong El Niño is a torch for New England: 2015-16 was the warmest, least-snowy winter in modern Northeast ski history, and 2023-24 wasn't much kinder. The counterweight is the amped subtropical jet, which can detonate coastal bombs when cold air is available — the hope is a 2009-10-style big-storm pattern rather than a 2015-16 washout. Plan for below-average natural snowfall and heavy snowmaking reliance, with genuine boom-or-bust nor'easter upside: one 30-inch weekend can rescue a lean year.
Every Northeast mountain, ranked by 2026-27 forecast
Skiability blends absolute snow (35%), season-vs-typical (30%), powder days (20%), and bust risk (15%). Click through for each mountain's full simulation, month-by-month outlook, and pass math.
| # | Resort | Skiability | Median snow | vs typical | Powder days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jay Peak VT | 57 | 313" | 88% | ~14 |
| 2 | Stowe VT | 54 | 287" | 89% | ~13 |
| 3 | Sugarloaf ME | 54 | 195" | 99% | ~10 |
| 4 | Smugglers' Notch VT | 53 | 283" | 88% | ~12 |
| 5 | Bolton Valley VT | 52 | 274" | 88% | ~11 |
| 6 | Saddleback ME | 51 | 209" | 94% | ~10 |
| 7 | Killington VT | 49 | 244" | 91% | ~11 |
| 8 | Burke Mountain VT | 49 | 191" | 93% | ~9 |
| 9 | Wildcat NH | 49 | 187" | 94% | ~9 |
| 10 | Sugarbush VT | 47 | 228" | 88% | ~11 |
| 11 | Mad River Glen VT | 46 | 227" | 88% | ~11 |
| 12 | Sunday River ME | 46 | 148" | 97% | ~8 |
| 13 | Stratton VT | 44 | 163" | 95% | ~8 |
| 14 | Bretton Woods NH | 44 | 167" | 92% | ~7 |
| 15 | Waterville Valley NH | 43 | 136" | 95% | ~6 |
| 16 | Gore Mountain NY | 43 | 140" | 95% | ~6 |
| 17 | Magic Mountain VT | 42 | 139" | 96% | ~6 |
| 18 | Loon Mountain NH | 42 | 142" | 93% | ~7 |
| 19 | Attitash NH | 42 | 116" | 98% | ~5 |
| 20 | Whiteface NY | 42 | 163" | 88% | ~6 |
| 21 | Holiday Valley NY | 42 | 168" | 91% | ~5 |
| 22 | Okemo VT | 41 | 128" | 97% | ~5 |
| 23 | Cannon Mountain NH | 41 | 147" | 92% | ~6 |
| 24 | Mount Snow VT | 40 | 135" | 93% | ~6 |
| 25 | Bromley VT | 40 | 141" | 94% | ~6 |
| 26 | Belleayre NY | 40 | 132" | 95% | ~5 |
| 27 | Mount Sunapee NH | 39 | 119" | 94% | ~6 |
| 28 | Hunter Mountain NY | 38 | 123" | 94% | ~5 |
| 29 | Cranmore NH | 37 | 88" | 96% | ~4 |
| 30 | Gunstock NH | 37 | 108" | 93% | ~5 |
| 31 | Windham Mountain Club NY | 36 | 102" | 95% | ~4 |
| 32 | Pleasant Mountain ME | 34 | 82" | 93% | ~3 |
Pass coverage in Northeast
Epic Pass$1,119 · 7 of 32 Northeast mountains
Stowe · Wildcat · Attitash · Okemo · Mount Snow · Mount Sunapee · +1 more
Ikon Pass$1,449 · 7 of 32 Northeast mountains
Sugarloaf · Killington · Sugarbush · Sunday River · Stratton · Loon Mountain · +1 more
Epic Local$829 · 7 of 32 Northeast mountains
Stowe · Wildcat · Attitash · Okemo · Mount Snow · Mount Sunapee · +1 more
Indy Pass$369 · 7 of 32 Northeast mountains
Jay Peak · Bolton Valley · Saddleback · Burke Mountain · Waterville Valley · Magic Mountain · +1 more
Northeast 2026-27: straight answers
- Will Northeast have a good 2026-27 ski season?
- PassCast's daily 10,000-run simulations put Northeast's 32 tracked mountains at 93% of a typical season on average — below a typical season — with an average skiability rating of 44/100. Strong El Niño is a torch for New England: 2015-16 was the warmest, least-snowy winter in modern Northeast ski history, and 2023-24 wasn't much kinder. The counterweight is the amped subtropical jet, which can detonate coastal bombs when cold air is available — the hope is a 2009-10-style big-storm pattern rather than a 2015-16 washout.
- Which Northeast ski resort will have the best snow in 2026-27?
- As of today's simulation, Jay Peak leads Northeast with a skiability rating of 57/100 ("Solid skiing expected") and a median of 313" — 88% of its typical season. The full ranking on this page updates daily.
- Which ski pass covers Northeast?
- Epic Pass covers 7 of the 32 tracked Northeast mountains (e.g. Stowe, Wildcat); Ikon Pass covers 7 of the 32 tracked Northeast mountains (e.g. Sugarloaf, Killington); Epic Local covers 7 of the 32 tracked Northeast mountains (e.g. Stowe, Wildcat). PassCast's Pass Finder runs your exact Northeast plan through every pass's day caps and prices.
Forecasts are probabilistic and reseeded daily from ENSO analogs, NOAA CPC outlooks, and the ECMWF SEAS5 ensemble — see methodology. Regional narrative compiled 2026-07-06.