
Jay Peak's summit reaches 3,966 feet, dropping roughly 2,153 vertical feet to a base at 1,814 feet across 81 runs spread over 385 acres near Jay, Vermont, close to the Canadian border. Terrain splits 50 per cent intermediate, 26 per cent beginner, 20 per cent advanced and 4 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 359 inches, the highest of any ski area in the eastern United States. The resort carries Indy Pass affiliation. Nine lifts, including one aerial tram and four quad chairs, serve the mountain alongside one double chair, one triple chair and two surface lifts.
Jay Peak has earned a reputation as Vermont's snowiest resort, a distinction rooted in its far-northern location and prevailing weather patterns that deliver substantially more natural snowfall than mountains further south in the state. This snow reliability, combined with legendary gladed terrain, has built a devoted following among serious powder skiers.
Jay Peak opened for skiing in 1957. Following the sudden death in March 2006 of Jacques Hebert, the Canadian principal shareholder and operator, his heirs, lacking experience running a major resort business, decided to sell. In 2008, a group of investors headed by Ariel Quiros and resort CEO Bill Stenger purchased Jay Peak and undertook a major expansion funded through the EB-5 immigrant investor programme, adding hotels, condominiums, an ice rink and an indoor water park.
That expansion later proved to be the largest EB-5 fraud in American history, with roughly 350 million US dollars raised from investors and around 200 million US dollars misused on unrelated projects and personal expenses. The Securities and Exchange Commission seized Jay Peak in 2016, placing it under receivership until an auction in September 2022 saw Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. of Park City, Utah, acquire the resort for 76 million US dollars, with the sale completed that November and the bulk of proceeds distributed to defrauded investors. Adult daily tickets run from 99 to 149 US dollars, with a discount available for Vermont residents.
Jay Peak sits in Vermont's far north near the Canadian border, with 81 runs over 385 acres (156 hectares) and a summit at 3,970 ft (1,209 m). The base is at 1,810 ft (553 m), giving a vertical of 2,150 ft (656 m). Half the mountain is blue square at 50%, with 26% green, 20% black diamond and 4% expert. Snow is the real draw, with roughly 359 inches in an average winter, among the heaviest totals in the East. An aerial tram, four quads, a triple, a double and two surface lifts spread skiers across both sides of the mountain.
The mountain splits into two interconnected peaks, Stateside and Tramside, and the tram is the only aerial tramway in Vermont. The Face Chutes sit to the left of the tram, a steep open face with plenty of drops that stays sheltered from wind. Intermediates can ride from the top and keep right on Vermonter, one of the trademark runs. More than 100 acres of glades add low-angle tree skiing that holds powder well. Jay suits powder chasers and confident intermediates, though the 4% expert share means true steeps are limited.
The 2025-26 season at Jay Peak ran from 22 November 2025 to 10 May 2026, a remarkably long roughly twenty-four-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 359 inches, the highest of any ski area in the eastern United States. This exceptional snowfall total, driven by the resort's far-northern location, supports one of the longest seasons in the Northeast.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the deepest, most consistent conditions to Jay Peak's legendary gladed terrain. As an Indy Pass resort, Jay draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass alongside dedicated powder-focused visitors drawn specifically to the mountain's exceptional snow totals.
Given Jay Peak's remote location close to the Canadian border, the resort draws a genuinely dedicated visitor base willing to travel further than for many other Vermont mountains, rewarded by consistently deeper snow than areas further south. School holiday periods bring family visitation supported by the resort's indoor water park and hotel amenities.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Pacific Group Resorts, Inc.'s November 2022 acquisition following the resort's EB-5 fraud scandal and subsequent federal receivership, Jay Peak has continued operating under stable ownership, building on nearly seven decades of history since its 1957 founding. The mountain's exceptional snowfall remains its defining seasonal characteristic.
Jay Peak sits near Jay, Vermont, close to the Canadian border, with a base elevation of 1,814 feet and a summit at 3,966 feet across a roughly 2,153-foot vertical drop over 385 acres. This far-northern setting places the resort in one of the snowiest corners of the eastern United States.
The town of Jay and the broader Northeast Kingdom region offer modest local lodging and dining, with the resort itself providing substantial on-site accommodation given its remote setting. Montreal, Canada, lies within a reasonable drive across the nearby border, adding an international dimension to the resort's visitor draw.
Vermont State Route 242 provides access to the resort through the Northeast Kingdom. Winter driving conditions on this route can include substantial snow and ice, consistent with the region's exceptional snowfall totals, and travellers should allow extra time given the resort's remote location. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, across the Canadian border, and Burlington International Airport, within Vermont, both serve the broader region, with Jay Peak drawing a genuinely international visitor base given its proximity to Montreal alongside its core Vermont and Northeast skier base.
Hotels and lodges near Jay Peak, 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.
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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.
Snow depth at Jay Peak is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 656m 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.
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Jay Peak are holding up or starting to soften.
We pull Jay Peak's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 9 lifts, including an aerial tram and 4 quad 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.