
Mt Hood Skibowl's terrain rises from a base at 3,599 feet to a summit at 5,026 feet, a vertical drop of 1,427 feet across 69 runs spread over 960 acres near Government Camp, Oregon. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 25 per cent advanced, 20 per cent beginner and 15 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 282 inches. The resort carries Powder Alliance affiliation and is billed as America's largest night-skiing area.
Skibowl's origins date to 1928, making it one of the oldest ski resorts still operating in the United States. Its standout feature is its night-skiing capacity, with a substantial share of its terrain lit for evening operation, a scale unmatched by other American resorts. This night-skiing focus reflects Skibowl's role as a close-to-Portland mountain built around after-work and evening access rather than purely destination weekend visits.
The resort began as two separate ski areas: Skibowl, named for the natural bowl shape of its upper terrain, and Multorpor, whose name combined Multnomah County and Portland. The two areas merged into a single resort in 1964. In 1987, Kirk Hanna purchased Skibowl out of bankruptcy and began a significant program of improvements that would reshape the resort's identity.
Under Hanna's ownership, the resort added a 300-acre area known as the Outback, cut the Olympic-certified Reynolds Run, and expanded night skiing to 34 lit runs, cementing its reputation as America's largest night-ski area. Adult daily tickets run from 75 to 89 US dollars, with a season pass at 699 dollars, reflecting a resort built around accessible, extended-hours skiing for the Portland region.
Mt Hood Skibowl covers 960 acres (389 hectares) on the south side of Mount Hood, with 69 runs. The base is at 3,600 feet and the summit at 5,030 feet (1,532 m), a vertical of 1,430 feet (435 m). The split is 40% intermediate, 25% advanced, 20% beginner and 15% expert, with snowfall averaging around 282 inches a year. Skibowl is best known as the biggest night skiing operation in the United States, with more than 34 lit runs. That makes the after-work session as important as the weekend, and the daytime numbers only tell part of the story.
Multorpor is the intermediate area, with groomed runs that are no harder than typical blue squares elsewhere, while the black diamonds off the Upper Bowl chair are the real advanced terrain, with steep pitches, rocks and drop-offs. The Outback is a remote expert area that needs plenty of snow, and it is not open for night skiing. Skyline and Lower Bowl are smooth groomers under the lights. Skibowl suits Portland skiers wanting an evening session, intermediates and families, and experts who are prepared to wait for a good snowfall to open the Outback.
The 2025-26 season at Mt Hood Skibowl ran from 6 December 2025 to 29 March 2026, a roughly sixteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 282 inches. This substantial snowfall total supports reliable conditions across the resort's varied terrain, including the 300-acre Outback zone. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to the mountain's terrain. Night skiing is the defining seasonal feature at Skibowl, with 34 lit runs extending the useful ski day well beyond daylight hours throughout the season, a significant draw for Portland-area skiers seeking after-work access. Weekend and evening crowds both feature prominently in the resort's visitor patterns.
As a Powder Alliance resort, Skibowl draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass in addition to its core Portland metropolitan area base. Given the resort's proximity to Portland relative to Mount Hood's other ski areas, it sees strong midweek evening demand alongside typical weekend patterns. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given the resort's substantial beginner and intermediate terrain.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and night skiing is not confirmed in available resort information. The resort's identity as one of the oldest ski areas in the country, dating to 1928, continues to shape its historic character even as it operates America's largest night-ski area today. Kirk Hanna's late-1980s improvements remain foundational to how the resort operates each season.
Mt Hood Skibowl sits near Government Camp on the southern side of Mount Hood, Oregon, with a base elevation of 3,599 feet and a summit at 5,026 feet across a 1,427-foot vertical drop over 960 acres. This is the closest of Mount Hood's ski areas to the Portland metropolitan area, a key factor in its focus on evening and night skiing.
Government Camp is the nearest town, a small mountain community offering lodging and dining directly on Mount Hood's southern flank. Portland, Oregon's largest city, lies roughly an hour's drive away, supplying the bulk of Skibowl's visitor base given the resort's proximity relative to other Mount Hood ski areas. The broader Mt. Hood National Forest surrounds the resort.
US Route 26 provides the main route from Portland to Government Camp and Skibowl, climbing steadily into the Cascade foothills. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, and chains or traction tyres are often required during storm advisories. There is no direct public transport service to the resort, though its proximity to Portland makes it a practical evening drive for many area residents.
Portland International Airport is the nearest airport with extensive commercial service, roughly 75 minutes from the resort under normal conditions. This convenient distance from Oregon's largest city and its airport reinforces Skibowl's role as the most accessible of Mount Hood's ski areas, particularly suited to its extensive night-skiing operation.
Hotels and lodges near Mt Hood Skibowl, powered by Stay22.

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.

Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.

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.
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0"
Days 8–14
0.0"
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Snow depth at Mt Hood Skibowl is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 435m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Mt Hood Skibowl's base and summit.
Mt Hood Skibowl 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.
Conditions can change overnight, so mornings and late afternoons are the best times to check back on Mt Hood Skibowl.