Northern Rockies Ski Season Forecast 2026-27
The short answer: PassCast's simulations currently put Northern Rockies below a typical season for 2026-27, with an average skiability of 52/100 across 14 mountains. Grand Targhee (67), Big Sky (65), Jackson Hole (60) 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
Jackson, Big Sky, and the Idaho panhandle are La Niña country, and a strong El Niño typically strands them on the dry, warm side of a southward-displaced storm track — strong La Niña months out-snow strong El Niño months by 30% or more at inland areas. 1997-98 and 2023-24 both brought below-average, late-starting seasons here. Plan on 80-90% of normal snowfall, cold enough at elevation to preserve quality, with the best stretch arriving February onward.
Every Northern Rockies 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 | Grand Targhee WY | 67 | 419" | 84% | ~25 |
| 2 | Big Sky MT | 65 | 351" | 89% | ~18 |
| 3 | Jackson Hole WY | 60 | 378" | 82% | ~22 |
| 4 | Bridger Bowl MT | 57 | 292" | 85% | ~15 |
| 5 | Brundage Mountain ID | 55 | 277" | 88% | ~14 |
| 6 | Whitefish Mountain Resort MT | 52 | 237" | 85% | ~11 |
| 7 | Tamarack Resort ID | 50 | 257" | 84% | ~12 |
| 8 | Lost Trail Powder Mountain MT | 50 | 272" | 83% | ~12 |
| 9 | Red Lodge Mountain MT | 49 | 194" | 90% | ~8 |
| 10 | Pebble Creek ID | 48 | 217" | 88% | ~10 |
| 11 | Sun Valley ID | 47 | 181" | 96% | ~6 |
| 12 | Discovery Ski Area MT | 46 | 181" | 86% | ~6 |
| 13 | Montana Snowbowl MT | 42 | 234" | 80% | ~10 |
| 14 | Schweitzer ID | 37 | 203" | 77% | ~10 |
Pass coverage in Northern Rockies
Indy Pass$369 · 6 of 14 Northern Rockies mountains
Brundage Mountain · Tamarack Resort · Lost Trail Powder Mountain · Red Lodge Mountain · Pebble Creek · Montana Snowbowl
Ikon Pass$1,449 · 5 of 14 Northern Rockies mountains
Big Sky · Jackson Hole · Tamarack Resort · Sun Valley · Schweitzer
Mountain Collective$699 · 4 of 14 Northern Rockies mountains
Grand Targhee · Big Sky · Jackson Hole · Sun Valley
Northern Rockies 2026-27: straight answers
- Will Northern Rockies have a good 2026-27 ski season?
- PassCast's daily 10,000-run simulations put Northern Rockies's 14 tracked mountains at 85% of a typical season on average — below a typical season — with an average skiability rating of 52/100. Jackson, Big Sky, and the Idaho panhandle are La Niña country, and a strong El Niño typically strands them on the dry, warm side of a southward-displaced storm track — strong La Niña months out-snow strong El Niño months by 30% or more at inland areas. 1997-98 and 2023-24 both brought below-average, late-starting seasons here.
- Which Northern Rockies ski resort will have the best snow in 2026-27?
- As of today's simulation, Grand Targhee leads Northern Rockies with a skiability rating of 67/100 ("Deep & reliable") and a median of 419" — 84% of its typical season. The full ranking on this page updates daily.
- Which ski pass covers Northern Rockies?
- Indy Pass covers 6 of the 14 tracked Northern Rockies mountains (e.g. Brundage Mountain, Tamarack Resort); Ikon Pass covers 5 of the 14 tracked Northern Rockies mountains (e.g. Big Sky, Jackson Hole); Mountain Collective covers 4 of the 14 tracked Northern Rockies mountains (e.g. Grand Targhee, Big Sky). PassCast's Pass Finder runs your exact Northern Rockies 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.