Why Was This Winter So Weird? What Happened to the Snow in the US, Canada and the Alps
- John Morgan
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
This winter confused a lot of skiers.
If you spent the season chasing snow, you probably asked the same question everyone else did: What happened? Why did Colorado and Utah struggle for consistent snow, while the Northeast and the Alps got hammered at times? Why were there weeks of dry weather followed by massive dumps? And why did avalanche danger remain so elevated for so long?
In the latest Where to Ski podcast episode, we sat down with two mountain weather experts to break it all down:
Their answer?
This wasn’t just an “off year.” It was one of the most unusual ski weather seasons in recent memory.
Colorado and Utah: What Went Wrong?
Let’s start with the question every skier in the West was asking.
Why was skiing in Colorado and Utah so inconsistent this year?
According to Alan Smith, the main culprit was a persistent blocking ridge of high pressure over the western United States. This ridge began forming in early November and remained stubbornly in place for much of the winter.
That meant:
unusually warm temperatures
fewer cold storms
less snow accumulation
more rain at elevations that should have seen snow
The result was brutal for ski resorts. Some areas that normally rely on consistent cold temperatures couldn’t even make enough artificial snow early in the season.
That’s a major issue. Without a strong man-made base, even later storms struggle to build durable coverage. As Alan explained, this wasn’t just dry. It was historically warm. In some parts of the western U.S., this winter was the warmest on record from November through March. That warmth had a bigger impact than precipitation totals alone. Even where storms arrived, snow levels were far too high. Resorts that should have received powder instead got:
rain
mixed precipitation
heavy wet snow
low snow-to-water ratios
For skiers, that meant poor surface quality and unstable base layers.
The Role of La Niña and the QBO
This year’s weather wasn’t random. Alan points to a combination of:
weak La Niña conditions
an easterly Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) phase
frequent polar vortex disruptions
Together, these atmospheric patterns favored:
colder, stormier weather in the eastern U.S.
persistent ridging and warmth in the West
This explains why the Northeast had one of its best winters in years, while Colorado and Utah struggled. Think of the jet stream like a river in the sky. This winter, it repeatedly dipped into the East and bulged over the West. That bulge created the stubborn ridge that blocked snow-producing cold fronts. In other words:
the snow went east.
Why the Alps Got Huge Dumps
While North America’s West suffered, the European Alps experienced a totally different kind of winter. According to Koen Stewart, Europe’s snow patterns depend less on Pacific systems like La Niña and more on Atlantic pressure patterns and persistent flow direction. The Alps had a strange but successful winter.
Instead of frequent moderate snowfall, resorts received massive snow dumps separated by long dry spells. That meant:
huge December storm cycles
dry January stretches
explosive February snowfall
late-season March powder
Some resorts in the French Alps received three to six feet of snow in a single storm cycle. That kind of snowfall is great for Instagram. But it creates major safety issues.
Avalanche Risk Was Off the Charts
One of the biggest stories of the season wasn’t snowfall totals. It was avalanche danger.
Koen described this as one of the most dangerous off-piste seasons in recent memory.
Why? Because the snowpack was built in layers. Long dry periods created weak persistent layers. Then huge dumps of new snow overloaded those weak layers.
That’s the perfect recipe for slides. In some parts of the Alps, avalanche danger stayed at Level 3 or higher for six consecutive weeks, something Koen said was nearly unprecedented. Entire resorts shut down temporarily. Roads closed. Guests couldn’t get in or out. Even experienced guides had to dramatically reduce terrain choices.
As Koen put it:
“A good guide is an old guide.”
That line says everything.
Why Bad Snow Years Can Be More Dangerous
This surprises many casual skiers. A poor snow year can actually produce more dangerous avalanche conditions. Alan explained why.
In lighter snow seasons, storms are spaced farther apart. Between storms, temperature swings and dry spells weaken the snowpack. When the next big storm arrives, the new load often fails on those weak layers. This creates instability. Ironically, powder-starved skiers may also take more risks. After weeks without snow, people rush into the backcountry when a storm finally hits. That combination—unstable snow plus powder hunger—can be deadly.
Why the Northeast Got Hammered
Meanwhile, the Northeast United States had a phenomenal winter. Resorts like Jay Peak saw snowfall totals that rivaled some western destinations. This was the direct result of the jet stream configuration. As cold air repeatedly dipped into the East, storms tracked across the region with excellent temperature support. For East Coast skiers, this was a rare gift. As Alan joked, the East gets this kind of season “once every ten years.”
What Skiers Should Watch Next Season
So what does this mean going forward? The good news: this exact weather pattern is unlikely to repeat. Alan made it clear that no two winters are identical. While some atmospheric conditions may rhyme from year to year, a repeat of this extreme ridge pattern is uncommon. That’s encouraging news for:
Colorado
Utah
Tahoe
Jackson Hole
the Pacific Northwest
There’s “nowhere to go but up.”
How to Chase Powder Smarter
One of the best insights from this episode comes from WePowder’s motto:
“Chasing powder is not by chance, it’s a choice.”
Great ski trips increasingly depend on understanding weather patterns. That means watching:
storm track direction
temperature trends
jet stream flow
high pressure ridges
freeze-thaw cycles
avalanche forecasts
This is especially true if you ski off-piste, sidecountry or backcountry. Massive dumps don’t always mean safe skiing. Sometimes the best powder trip is the one you postpone by 48 hours.
Final Takeaway: Know the Weather, Ski Better
This season reminded all of us that skiing starts long before the first chair.
It starts with the atmosphere. Understanding ridges, storm cycles, temperature trends, and avalanche conditions can completely change your trip. Because the difference between rain and powder is often just a few degrees. And this year, those few degrees changed everything.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of Where to Ski for deeper insights from Alan Smith and Koen Stewart on what happened this winter—and where the snow may go next.
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