WeatherJapan stays in a very active winter pattern through early next week, with the most reliable snow from Thu night (02/05) through Mon (02/09) and frequent refreshes in Hokkaido. Snow levels sit at or near sea level for much of the period in Hokkaido, and that keeps precipitation as snow even down low while temperatures hold well below freezing. Snow quality should improve as colder air settles in, with SLRs often rising into the 16-19:1 range later in the weekend.
A lawsuit was filed last Friday in Deschutes County Circuit Court and seeks over $14.5 million in damages for the death of Brian Thomas Roberts. He was killed in an avalanche on Mount Bailey near Diamond Lake, Oregon, on March 13, 2025. The lawsuit against Diamond Lake Improvement Company claims the conditions were too dangerous that day, and the guides told the group to disregard the report indicating a high level of avalanche danger that day.
Vonn said she suffered a full ACL tear last Friday, along with a bone bruise and meniscal damage following a crash. Bone bruising is common with ACL injuries, she noted, while the extent of the meniscus damage remains unclear, as some of it may have existed prior to the crash. The injury came just one week before the Olympics, timing Vonn described as emotionally devastating.
Whether you love it, hate it, or are just hearing about it for the first time, Alterra's Reserve Pass is likely here to stay. But if you don't know what the Reserve Pass is, it takes a slightly different appearance at a variety of Alterra ski resorts, generally encompassing a dedicated priority lift line and exclusive amenities. It's an intriguing concept, and one that makes sense in an ever-growing segmented ski resort product lineup.
Roughly half of the state's monitoring sites are now in what forecasters describe as "uncharted territory," meaning current snow water equivalent levels are lower than anything previously observed at those locations. To put the situation in historical context, meteorologists have pointed to long-running individual sites such as the Alta Guard House, where snow records date back to 1944. By February 1 of this season, Alta had recorded 126 inches of snow.
Industry NewsThe incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. on Friday morning when the woman disembarked the Tsuga No. 2 Pair Lift near the summit of the resort in Otari Village in the Nagano Prefecture. According to a statement by the resort's CEO Tsuneo Kubo, a strap got caught as she reached the top station. She was dragged around the top station by the lift and was left hanging in midair at which point lift attendants hit the emergency stop.
Mt. Hood Skibowl, Oregon, is dealing with the reality that Mother Nature has not been cooperating with Western ski resorts this season, and will suspend its ski and ride operations after Sunday night. The temperatures at Mt. Hood Skibowl on Saturday, January 31, were 33 degrees at the base area and 42 at the top. The snow depth at the top of the mountain was 14 inches.
WeatherA warm, moisture-limited Pacific Northwest pattern keeps snowfall modest this weekend, with generally high snow levels and mostly dense to wet snow quality. The best accumulation favors Whistler and Mt Baker, while the Washington Cascades and Mt Hood see lighter totals with periods of wind. After Monday, high pressure builds in and turns the region drier and unseasonably mild, limiting fresh snow chances through much of the workweek before hints of a more changeable, potentially wetter West Coast signal later in the extended range.
The man behind the camera filming his friend triggering a massive cornice fall may have been chuckling but cornice safety is no laughing matter. Releasing an overhanging mass of snow formed by wind deposits (triggering a cornice fall) can lead to snow immersion suffocation (SIS) when the skier lands and trigger avalanches or simply entrain large amounts of loose snow along with the cornice debris which is also a dangerous scenario.
WeatherNew Zealand's Southern Alps see a small, wet early-week storm that peaks on Tuesday, with Mt Hutt and Mount Dobson leading totals. Snow levels start high Monday night near 6,200-6,600 feet, then drop into the 4,700-5,000 feet range on Tuesday as temperatures settle near freezing, improving the odds of snow reaching lower mountain elevations. Snow quality stays on the heavy side with SLRs mostly around 6-7:1, so expect dense, moisture-rich snow rather than light powder, and moderate southeast winds add some exposed-ridge bite.
When you're touring in the backcountry, you'll want a different kit than what you wear inbounds at the resort. Inbounds, your main goal is to stay warm and comfortable, and you're usually not working nearly as hard as you do on the skin track. Touring generates a lot more heat, so your layering system has to breathe, manage moisture, and still keep you warm when you stop.
The camera went live earlier this month and immediately began revealing the true scale of Corbet's signature entrance, which features a roughly 20-foot drop and a pitch approaching 50 degrees. When the couloir is open, the feed captures everything from long moments of hesitation at the lip to smooth, confident stomps and the inevitable crashes that remind viewers just how serious the line really is.
WeatherDenver-based meteorologist Chris Tomer is one of the most accurate forecasters we know. Check out and subscribe to his mountain weather forecast videos to see where North America will get the most snow. On today's forecast from Tomer, he writes: "Storm track favors PNW/BC for best snow through 2/6, but also higher elevation rain/snow lines with warmer air." Meanwhile, the rest of the West experiences is beginning to appear as a snow drought and patiently waits for snow.
Palisades Tahoe is giving skiers and riders more reasons to hit the slopes midweek with the launch of Community Days-select Wednesdays this February and March featuring $89 Day Lift Tickets and a built-in giveback to the local community. Scheduled for February 4, 11, and 25, and March 4, 2026, Community Days celebrate the perks of midweek skiing-fewer crowds, more room to roam, and incredible value.
Glacier Park International Airport sits about 15 minutes from Whitefish proper, and offers direct flights from several hubs across the western United States and select Midwestern cities. My flight from Portland, Oregon took less time than it would have taken to get to Mount Hood. The drive from downtown Whitefish to the resort is less than 15 minutes. For travelers who prefer rails to runways, Amtrak's Empire Builder stops right in downtown Whitefish.
3-time Olympic alpine skier Tommy Ford sat down with Condé Nast Traveler to discuss the different types of snow conditions you find around the world, from the Beaver Creek in Colorado to Ushuaia, Argentina, and Lake Takapō in New Zealand. The discussion was mostly surrounding the snow conditions while racing or training, not the off-piste or regular trails that most skiers are riding, but he does touch on some other forms of snow.
Part of the opinion here might stem from growing up in Colorado. Where, up until this year, the snow was always good and skinny skis made up a nice decoration in the garage. When snow days would come by during my high school days I would always be ecstatic to strap on my 118 underfoot skis and ride from first chair till last.
Conditions delivered a glimpse of for what Fernie is known. Soft snow lingered across much of the mountain, especially on shaded aspects and in the trees, where cold temperatures preserved quality turns and wind pushed snow into healthy pockets. Visibility fluctuated at times, but when the clouds lifted, the terrain revealed itself in layers-bowls feeding into glades, ridgelines spilling into natural halfpipes, and sustained fall lines that can keep a rider's legs burning.
The journey to Silvertip Lodge begins with a charter flight from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Williams Lake Airport, followed by a 45-minute helicopter ride to the property. Situated on the shores of Quesnel Lake in the Cariboo Mountains, the lodge is accessible only by helicopter during winter operations. This level of isolation places it among the most remote destinations I have experienced, ensuring that the immersion in wilderness begins the moment you arrive.
Many of us are riding the high of the recent major snowstorm wondering when the next big powder day will swing through. Unfortunately for most of North America, it looks like the snowy weather won't be returning anytime soon, or at least not for the next week. Meteorologist Chris Tomer 's Mountain Weather Update paints a rather sad picture for snowfall totals in North America between January 29th and February 5th.
This image, acquired with the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA's Terra satellite, provides a wide view of meager western snow cover on January 15. On that day, measurements derived from satellite observations showed that snow blanketed 142,700 square miles (369,700 square kilometers) of the west. That's the lowest coverage for that date in the MODIS record dating back to 2001 and less than one-third of the median. Coverage had increased slightly by January 26.
Snowmass is one of four world-class ski destinations in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado. This week, the resort closed the Big Burn Lift on weekdays, citing "redundancy" with the Sheer Bliss lift. During the week, skiers and riders can access the same terrain using the Sheer Bliss lift. The lift closure was motivated by the Ullrhof Restaurant construction which decreased skier volume on the Big Burn during the week. The Ullrhof Restaurant is currently closed while it undergoes a massive renovation. It is not scheduled to reopen until November 2026. The Big Burn lift will continue operating on weekends.
The Tahoe Backcountry Alliance is celebrating its 10th anniversary this winter with an online sweepstakes aimed at raising funds to support human-powered backcountry access and equity-focused outdoor projects in the Lake Tahoe region. The nonprofit organization, based in Truckee, California, has spent the past decade advocating for improved access to public lands, maintaining and expanding backcountry infrastructure, and working with community partners to make backcountry recreation more inclusive.
"At the Olympics, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is supporting the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations," according to . "All security operations remain under Italian authority."
An intense storm system is hammering the region, dropping significant snow on top of an already fragile snowpack. So far, up to 30 cm (12 inches) of fresh snow has fallen in the Pre-Alps above 1,500 meters (4,900 feet), while the Dolomites have picked up around 15 cm (6 inches)-with much more on the way. The fresh snow is falling onto a poorly bonded surface layer left over from last weekend, which itself sits on deep, persistent weak layers made up of angular crystals-a classic recipe for avalanches.
Cornice collapses can be incredibly dangerous, having the potential to crush people, pull them down mountains and potentially over rocky cliffs, and cause larger avalanches. Professional skier Josh Daiek doesn't seem to be impacted by cornices as much as a regular skier or snowboarder would be, though. This incredible line starts with a heart pounding moment as he looked over the edge.
Huge news for southern skiers and snowboarders, as Alabama's one and only ski area is open tonight, January 27th, from 6pm-10pm. Cloudmont Ski Resort offers skiing and snowboarding accessed by a single rope tow. It's extremely condition dependent, often opening for only a handful of days every winter. This winter's first day for Cloudmont was back on January 18th, and they were open for 5 days between then and January 22nd.
Ski resort trail maps can be a bit confusing, but they can really make a ski trip significantly better if you're good at reading them. From providing clues on where the best snow will be to helping you avoid major lift lines, this guide from SRG Skiing will make reading a ski map quite a bit easier and quite a bit more beneficial.
