
Hunter Mountain's summit reaches 3,199 feet, dropping 1,600 vertical feet to a base at 1,601 feet across 67 runs spread over 320 acres in the Catskill Mountains, roughly two and a half hours from New York City. Terrain splits 30 per cent advanced, 30 per cent intermediate, 25 per cent beginner and 15 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 84 inches. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Thirteen lifts, including three quad chairs and two six-person chairs, serve the mountain alongside two double chairs, two triple chairs and four surface lifts.
Hunter Mountain has long stood as one of the Catskills' most prominent ski destinations, prized for its relative proximity to the New York City metropolitan area and its extensive snowmaking infrastructure. The resort's considerable 1,600-foot vertical drop and substantial trail count place it among the larger Catskills ski areas.
During the mid-1950s, a group of local businessmen, including Orville and Israel Slutzky and Karl Plattner Sr, developed plans to revive the Catskills' economy following decades of decline tied to the Great Depression, the Second World War and the region's fading tourism appeal. Hunter Mountain opened in 1960 under brothers Izzy and Orville Slutzky, who also ran a construction company building schools and bridges throughout the Catskills, work that complemented the resort's seasonal operations. The Slutzky family owned and ran Hunter Mountain for more than 50 years.
Peak Resorts acquired Hunter Mountain in 2015 and invested in further upgrades, culminating in the 2018 Hunter North Expansion, which added nine new runs and the Northern Express, a high-speed six-passenger chairlift, increasing the resort's skiable terrain by roughly a third. In 2019, Vail Resorts acquired Peak Resorts, bringing Hunter Mountain into its network and onto the Epic Pass. Adult daily tickets run from 89 to 139 US dollars.
Hunter Mountain covers 320 acres (130 hectares) in the Catskills, with 67 runs falling about 1,600 ft (487 m) from the 3,200 ft (975 m) summit to a base at 1,600 ft (488 m). The terrain splits 25% beginner, 30% intermediate, 30% advanced and 15% expert, which is a more demanding mix than most Northeast day-trip hills. Thirteen lifts, including two six-seat chairs, three quads, two triples, two doubles and four surface lifts, keep the mountain flowing at busy weekend times for visitors on the Epic Pass.
The expert terrain is found on Hellgate, Upper K-27 and Racer's Edge, with K-27 holding pitches of 38 to 44 degrees, the steepest on the mountain. Westway and Annapurna are steep too, but only open after sustained snowfall. The Hunter West section adds more advanced skiing, and four terrain parks, including Empire Terrain Park, cater to freestyle riders. Hunter suits strong intermediates and advanced skiers who want real pitch within a few hours of New York City, while beginners have their own gentler zone and several surface lifts at the base.
The 2025-26 season at Hunter Mountain ran from 28 November 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 84 inches. Extensive snowmaking supplements natural snowfall considerably, supporting the resort's early-season opening and consistent conditions throughout the winter.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Hunter's varied terrain across beginner through expert-rated runs. As an Epic Pass resort within the Vail Resorts network, Hunter draws substantial visitation from Epic Pass holders alongside its traditional New York City metropolitan area day-trip and weekend visitor base, given the resort's roughly two-and-a-half-hour drive from the city.
The 2018 Hunter North Expansion's additional terrain and the Northern Express six-person chairlift continue to support strong visitor capacity during peak weekend and holiday periods. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given the resort's varied terrain and proximity to the metropolitan area. Weekend crowds draw heavily from the greater New York City region.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Vail Resorts' 2019 acquisition of Peak Resorts, Hunter has continued operating as part of the Epic Pass network, building on more than 60 years of Catskills skiing history dating to the Slutzky family's 1960 founding. The resort's proximity to New York City remains central to its enduring popularity.
Hunter Mountain sits in the Catskill Mountains of New York, roughly two and a half hours from New York City, with a base elevation of 1,601 feet and a summit at 3,199 feet across a 1,600-foot vertical drop over 320 acres. This relative proximity to the metropolitan area has long defined Hunter's role as a leading downstate ski destination.
The town of Hunter and the broader Catskills region offer lodging, dining and additional recreation within a short drive of the resort. The Hudson Valley lies between the mountain and New York City, providing additional stopover options for visitors making the drive from the metropolitan area.
New York State Route 23A provides direct access to the resort through the heart of the Catskills. Winter driving conditions on this mountainous route can include snow and ice, and visitors travelling from the New York City area should allow extra time given typical weekend traffic volumes. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain, though the resort's proximity to the city supports considerable day-trip visitation by car.
Specific nearest commercial airport details are not confirmed in available resort information, though Hunter's roughly two-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City places it within reach of the metropolitan area's major airports for visitors flying in from further afield.
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Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.

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Kelly Canyon had a rough 2025-26, and the Idaho resort has spent the summer making sure it doesn’t repeat. Snowmaking now reaches the top of Goldrush, the terrain park is doubling in size with a stereo system, lights and a snack shack, and the car park is getting bigger. Grooming is stepping up too. Target opening is December 4, conditions permitting.

Winter was meant to be winding down in Chile. Then Valle Nevado took 108 cm in 48 hours in early October, and the resort has pushed its closing date out to November 8 - its latest in 38 years of operation. That makes 143 days of skiing since opening day on June 19, with 690 cm banked for the season. Only part of the mountain is running while the storm settles, so check the mountain report before you plan a trip.

The Alps look a lot more like winter today, for a day or so. A cold front is moving west to east, dropping up to 35 cm on high glaciers and peaks, with snow levels falling to around 1,500-1,800 m at times. Don’t plan a trip around it: mid-elevation snow will be thin and wet, every area is closed bar a limited Sölden glacier opening tomorrow, and warmer weather returns by Monday.

Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.

Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.

Dolomiti Superski is spending around €100 million across its 12 areas before winter. Kronplatz gets a new 10-passenger gondola with a middle station, 3 Zinnen gets Helmissimo, and Val di Fassa swaps a chairlift for a gondola above Col Valvacin. New water-storage basins and upgraded snowmaking follow, and construction has started on the San Martino to Passo Rolle link. A peak adult day pass is €89.
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Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
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Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Hunter Mountain, summit conditions (975m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Hunter Mountain are holding up or starting to soften.
Hunter Mountain snow data is collected through a combination of on-mountain reports and weather forecasting services, giving you both official resort updates and independent forecast data in one place. The mountain is served by 13 lifts, including 3 quad chairlifts and 2 6-person chairlifts.
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.