The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Mount Snow's summit reaches 3,599 feet, dropping roughly 1,700 vertical feet to a base at 1,899 feet across 87 runs spread over 600 acres near West Dover, Vermont. Terrain splits 67 per cent intermediate, 16 per cent each for advanced and beginner, and 1 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 166 inches. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Twenty lifts, including four quad chairs and six triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside three double chairs, one six-person chair, five surface lifts and one t-bar.
Mount Snow stands as one of southern Vermont's largest and most accessible resorts, prized for its considerable intermediate terrain and, at its Carinthia area, some of the most highly regarded terrain parks in the Northeast. Its relative proximity to Boston and the broader southern New England metropolitan area has long made it a popular weekend destination.
Walter Schoenknecht, who ran the Mohawk Mountain ski area in Connecticut, visited Vermont in 1946 seeking a location for a new resort with more reliable snowfall than areas further south, yet still accessible to New England's population centres. In 1953, he purchased land at the foot of what became known as Mount Snow, named for the farmer, Reuben Snow, who had previously owned it, and opened the resort in December 1954 with five trails on the lower mountain served by a rope tow and two double chairlifts.
Schoenknecht became known for extravagant, imaginative features, including an Italian-built aerial tram nicknamed the Air Car, an outdoor heated pool, and a large fountain geyser in Snow Lake, expanding the resort to 44 trails across three mountains with a gondola before financial difficulties led to bankruptcy in 1975. In September 2019, Vail Resorts purchased Mount Snow, joining Vail's portfolio and the Epic Pass network. Adult daily tickets run from 139 to 229 US dollars.
1,699ft
Vertical
87
Runs
600 acres
Skiable
14ft
Annual snow
Epic
Pass
The Terrain
87 runs across 600 acres skiable
Mount Snow spreads 87 runs over 600 acres (243 hectares) near West Dover in southern Vermont, from a base at 1,900 ft (579 m) to a summit of 3,600 ft (1,097 m), a vertical of 1,700 ft (518 m). Blue squares dominate at 67%, with 16% green circle, 16% black diamond and only 1% expert, so this is a mountain for cruising rather than extreme steeps. About 166 inches of snow falls in an average winter. Twenty lifts, including a six-pack, four quads and six triple chairs, keep queues moving across the four faces.
Mount Snow is divided into Main Face, North Face, Sunbrook and Carinthia. Snowdance, Canyon, Exhibition and Ridge are the Main Face cruisers, and Long John is a 3.1 mile green run. The Grand Summit Express six-pack reaches the top quickly. North Face holds the steeps and glades, with Ripcord a double black and Challenger close behind. Sunbrook has mellow blues such as Thanks Walt and Cloud Nine. Carinthia runs 15 terrain parks, including Grommet and Inferno. Mount Snow suits families, intermediates and freestyle riders, and its closeness to Boston makes it a popular weekend trip.
Terrain split
87
runs
87 runs across 4 grades
Beginner14 runs · 16%
Intermediate58 runs · 67%
Advanced14 runs · 16%
Expert1 run · 1%
Time it right
When to visit Mount Snow
The 2025-26 season at Mount Snow ran from 28 November 2025 to 19 April 2026, a roughly twenty-one-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 166 inches. Extensive snowmaking supplements natural snowfall to support the resort's early opening and consistent conditions across its considerable intermediate-weighted terrain throughout the season.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Mount Snow's varied terrain. As an Epic Pass resort within the Vail Resorts network, Mount Snow draws substantial visitation from Epic Pass holders alongside its traditional Boston-area weekend visitor base, given the resort's relatively accessible southern Vermont location.
The Carinthia terrain park area continues to draw freestyle-focused visitors throughout the season, supporting Mount Snow's reputation as a premier terrain park destination in the Northeast. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given the resort's heavily intermediate-weighted terrain profile. Weekend crowds draw heavily from the greater Boston and southern New England region.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and Carinthia's terrain park offerings is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Vail Resorts' 2019 acquisition, Mount Snow has continued operating as part of the Epic Pass network, building on seven decades of history since founder Walter Schoenknecht's 1954 opening. The resort's accessible location and considerable scale remain central to its seasonal popularity.
Season 2026 - 2027
21 Nov 2026
Opens
18 Apr 2027
Closes
148
Days open
14 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Mount Snow, and where to stay
Mount Snow sits near West Dover, Vermont, with a base elevation of 1,899 feet and a summit at 3,599 feet across a roughly 1,700-foot vertical drop over 600 acres. This southern Vermont setting places the resort within a considerable drive of the greater Boston metropolitan area.
West Dover and nearby Wilmington offer substantial lodging, dining and shopping within a short drive of the resort, giving Mount Snow a genuine mountain-town base area experience. The broader southern Vermont region surrounds the resort with additional outdoor recreation and scenic attractions.
Vermont State Route 100 provides direct access to the resort, connecting to the broader regional highway network toward Massachusetts and the greater Boston area. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled road is regularly maintained given the resort's popularity as a weekend destination. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Albany International Airport in New York and Bradley International Airport in Connecticut both serve the broader region within a reasonable drive, with Mount Snow's roughly two-and-a-half-hour drive from Boston making it a popular and accessible weekend option for the greater New England metropolitan area.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Mount Snow, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Zermatt Plans World Cup Downhill Return on the Gornergrat for 2028
Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.
14 Oct 2026
Mt. Rose Begins Snowmaking for the 2026-27 Season at Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.
13 Oct 2026
Utah Ski Resorts 2026-27: What’s New at Alta, Deer Valley, Powder Mountain and More
Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.
13 Oct 2026
Mt Hutt Invests NZ$12 Million in Base Area, Tripling Its Sun Deck
Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.
11 Oct 2026
Vermont Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Few Dates Set, Killington Waits on the Cold
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.
9 Oct 2026
Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships President Resigns Ahead of Fraud Hearing
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.
9 Oct 2026
Kelly Canyon, Idaho, Adds Snowmaking, a Bigger Terrain Park and More Parking for 2026-27
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.
9 Oct 2026
Valle Nevado Extends Season to November 8 After 108 cm in 48 Hours
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.
9 Oct 2026
Mount Snow Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 13 Oct 2026
3,599ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Light Drizzle39°F / 57°F · W 19mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
0in
Season total
0in
Total lifts20
Live open status isn’t available right now.
21 Nov 2026 - 18 Apr 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 47 hours· Updated Oct 14, 2026 at 6:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
3,599 ftUpdated Oct 14, 2026 at 6:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.2"
Days 8–14
0.2"
Wed, Oct 14
Light Drizzle
Temp57° / 39°°F
Snow0.0"(31%)
Wind19 mph W
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Mount Snow snow report
Track current conditions at Mount Snow in Vermont. This report covers snowfall totals, base and summit depth, and the forecast across 87 runs.
Snow measurements
Snow depth at Mount Snow is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 518m 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.
Weather conditions
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 Mount Snow's base and summit.
Data sources
Mount Snow 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 20 lifts, including 4 quad chairlifts and a 6-person chairlift.
When to check
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.