Colorado · CO
Vail
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Your mountain at a glance
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Use the seasonal outlook below for longer-term planning. Recheck weather and operating status close to departure.
Loading this mountain’s forecast. Official reports and trip planning remain available below.
Season ahead / NOAA outlook
Vail: winter 2026–27
Compare the broad seasonal pattern before choosing winter dates or passes. These overlapping three-month periods describe temperature and precipitation, not mountain snowfall totals.
| Period | Precipitation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Nov–Jan ↗Nov 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027Compare this period → Period has begunFull-period outlook; not a forecast for remaining days.Check near-term mountain weather → | Equal chances | Equal chances |
| Dec–Feb ↗Dec 1, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027Compare this period → | 33%+Wetter than normal | Equal chances |
| Jan–Mar ↗Jan 1, 2027 – Mar 31, 2027Compare this period → | 33%+Wetter than normal | Equal chances |
| Feb–Apr ↗Feb 1, 2027 – Apr 30, 2027Compare this period → | 40%+Wetter than normal | Equal chances |
Percentages are lower edges of NOAA probability bands, not exact mountain odds. Equal chances means no category is favored. Temperature and precipitation are separate signals; a wetter season does not establish a snowier one.
Your mountain is shortlisted; add up to two others to compare winter outlooks. Its pass plan starts with one editable day. Check access rules and booking flexibility before committing.
What is normal at Vail? Monthly station · snow frequency, cold days and monthly totals
NOAA’s 1991–2020 station normals put seasonal outlooks in context. These are historical averages, not this winter’s forecast or the exact regional thresholds used by NOAA’s outlook. Seasonal precipitation odds cannot be converted into inches of snow.
VAIL, CO US · 8,304 ft station elevation · 4.4 km from our mountain map point. Conditions vary across the ski area; no summit or elevation adjustment is applied.
See the observing station on a map ↗
How often did snow and cold days occur?
A monthly snowfall total does not tell you how often snow arrived. Compare the station’s historical average number of days meeting each threshold below. Averages can be fractional.
Scroll sideways to see all three measures. Month labels stay visible.
| Month | Snowfall ≥1 inch (2.54 cm) | Snowfall ≥3 inches (7.62 cm) | Daily high ≤32°F (0°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.3 daysProvisional · 22 years | 4.7 daysProvisional · 22 years | 21.3 daysRepresentative · 23 years |
| Feb | 9.9 daysProvisional · 21 years | 5.1 daysProvisional · 21 years | 12.7 daysRepresentative · 22 years |
| Mar | 8.2 daysProvisional · 23 years | 3.6 daysProvisional · 23 years | 4.5 daysRepresentative · 22 years |
| Apr | 6.6 daysProvisional · 22 years | 3.0 daysProvisional · 22 years | 1.4 daysRepresentative · 23 years |
| May | 1.8 daysProvisional · 21 years | 0.7 daysProvisional · 21 years | 0.1 daysRepresentative · 23 years |
| Jun | 0.2 daysProvisional · 23 years | Nonzero, rounded to 0.0 daysProvisional · 23 years | 0.0 daysRepresentative · 22 years |
| Jul | 0.0 daysStandard · 24 years | 0.0 daysStandard · 24 years | 0.0 daysRepresentative · 22 years |
| Aug | 0.0 daysProvisional · 23 years | 0.0 daysProvisional · 23 years | 0.0 daysRepresentative · 23 years |
| Sep | 0.5 daysProvisional · 23 years | 0.1 daysProvisional · 23 years | 0.0 daysRepresentative · 22 years |
| Oct | 3.1 daysStandard · 25 years | 1.4 daysStandard · 25 years | 1.0 daysRepresentative · 23 years |
| Nov | 7.8 daysProvisional · 23 years | 3.0 daysProvisional · 23 years | 9.0 daysRepresentative · 23 years |
| Dec | 8.9 daysStandard · 27 years | 4.0 daysStandard · 27 years | 21.6 daysRepresentative · 23 years |
The ≥3-inch days are already included in the ≥1-inch days; do not add the columns. These are station normals, not your trip’s chance of fresh snow, a count of skiable powder days or a forecast for this winter. Daily highs at or below freezing do not establish snow quality, snowmaking or open terrain. Each metric can use a different record length.
Temperature and monthly snowfall totals
| Month | Normal high | Normal low | Snowfall total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.5°FRepresentative · 23 years | 6.6°FStandard · 24 years | 35.3″Provisional · 17 years |
| Feb | 33.0°FRepresentative · 22 years | 9.2°FStandard · 24 years | 35.7″Provisional · 16 years |
| Mar | 41.7°FRepresentative · 22 years | 16.7°FStandard · 24 years | 28.2″Provisional · 19 years |
| Apr | 49.4°FRepresentative · 23 years | 23.8°FRepresentative · 23 years | 21.2″Provisional · 19 years |
| May | 60.4°FRepresentative · 23 years | 31.0°FStandard · 24 years | 4.8″Provisional · 19 years |
| Jun | 71.4°FRepresentative · 22 years | 35.6°FRepresentative · 22 years | 0.6″Provisional · 21 years |
| Jul | 76.7°FRepresentative · 22 years | 41.6°FRepresentative · 22 years | 0.0″Provisional · 22 years |
| Aug | 74.0°FRepresentative · 23 years | 40.8°FRepresentative · 23 years | 0.0″Provisional · 23 years |
| Sep | 66.6°FRepresentative · 22 years | 34.0°FRepresentative · 23 years | 0.9″Provisional · 21 years |
| Oct | 54.1°FRepresentative · 23 years | 25.2°FStandard · 25 years | 8.6″Provisional · 20 years |
| Nov | 37.7°FRepresentative · 23 years | 15.1°FStandard · 25 years | 25.9″Provisional · 17 years |
| Dec | 28.0°FRepresentative · 23 years | 7.1°FStandard · 25 years | 28.0″Provisional · 20 years |
Years show contributing records, not a promise of 30 complete years. Standard: at least 24 years; missing months may be filled. Representative: at least 10 years with gaps filled using nearby stations. Provisional: at least 10 years with gaps unfilled. Estimated: statistically estimated from shorter records. Nonzero values rounded to zero retain that source flag.
NOAA station USC00058575 · source CSV ↗ · Methods & quality flags ↗ · Threshold definitions ↗ · Temperature / snowfall totals reviewed 2026-09-14; frequency fields reviewed 2026-10-07.
Find your way onto Vail.
Compare the mountain's own pass with access you already have and the dates you intend to ski. Each offer has its own eligibility, blackout and reservation rules.
Local passes & ticket packs
We do not yet have a local pass or ticket-pack listing for Vail. This does not mean the mountain has no local products.
Get the operator's quote for your exact product, season and ski dates, then compare it with the tickets you would otherwise buy.
Compare your own pass and ticket quotes →Using a multi-resort pass?
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Small details. Better ski trips.
Know before you go to Vail.
Transport, pass-use and budget tips selected for this destination. Open a tip for its full context and sources; confirm your dates and exact booking before relying on it.
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Official sourceCheck Colorado SchoolKids before buying a child's lift ticketsRead tip & sources
The operator published October 7, 2026 as the 2026/27 Colorado SchoolKids enrollment deadline. Recheck its registration window; this card does not confirm enrollment remains open. For enrolled K–5 children, the free pack gives four days each at Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Crested Butte. New enrollment requires the child and grade evidence at a participating Front Range Epic Mountain Gear store; Frisco and resort offices cannot complete verification. Renewals also need grade verification before use. Restricted dates are November 27–28 and December 26–31, 2026, January 16 and February 13–14, 2027. A child who has never skied or snowboarded can receive one lesson-and-rental package total, subject to availability. Call at least two weeks ahead; published lesson windows are December 7–19, January 5–15 and January 19–30. Budget adult access and other trip costs separately.
Source checked: Oct 7, 2026.
Confirm current details with the source before booking.
Compare mountain weather worldwide → · Understand the weather sources →
Historical snow research is on hold
Legacy historical snowfall records and projections derived from them remain paused while we verify their sources. The NOAA seasonal outlook and current weather tools use separate, attributed sources.