Atlas · California/Tahoe · CA
Big Bear (Snow Summit)
8,200′ summit · 1,665′ vert · 438 acres · avg 100″/yr
Coin flip — Mar 1–15
Delivered 24″+ in 5 of the last 10 seasons
Over 20 winters: 5 of 20 · typical 2", most land 1"–21"
Before you book
This bet missed 5 of the last 10.
3 of the last 10 came in under 8″ — a bust, under a third of the bet.
Odds count natural snowfall only. At snowmaking-dependent resorts, early-season cover can be fine in a low-natural-snow year.
The season, window by window
The bet: 12″ of new snow per week, scaled to each window. Counted from real seasons — how our odds work.
Big Bear (Snow Summit) · the shape of a typical winter
Typical new snow, window by window
The middle season — median new snow per window, counted from the last 20 winters. A picture of timing, not a forecast. Snow is streaky; hover any window for the usual range.
| Window | Bet | Delivered | Verdict | Typical | Biggest | Leanest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1–15 | 24″+ | 1 of 10 · 7 busts | Long shot | 0" | 28" 2022 | 0" 2019 · 9 of 20 |
| Nov 16–30 | 24″+ | 2 of 10 · 7 busts | Long shot | 0" | 49" 2019 | 0" 2022 · 8 of 20 |
| Dec 1–15 | 24″+ | 1 of 10 · 6 busts | Long shot | 1" | 33" 2021 | 0" 2025 · 6 of 20 |
| Dec 16–31 | 30″+ | 2 of 10 · 5 busts | Long shot | 3" | 76" 2021 | 0" 2007 |
| Jan 1–15 | 24″+ | 3 of 10 · 6 busts | Long shot | 2" | 106" 2023 | 0" 2015 · 5 of 20 |
| Jan 16–31 | 30″+ | 2 of 10 · 4 busts | Long shot | 3" | 83" 2017 | 0" 2015 · 2 of 20 |
| Feb 1–15 | 24″+ | 3 of 10 · 4 busts | Long shot | 3" | 92" 2024 | 0" 2015 · 2 of 20 |
| Feb 16–28/29 | 24″+ | 3 of 10 · 4 busts | Long shot | 5" | 64" 2023 | 0" 2025 · 3 of 20 |
| Mar 1–15 | 24″+ | 5 of 10 · 3 busts | Coin flip | 2" | 52" 2025 | 0" 2026 · 4 of 20 |
| Mar 16–31 | 30″+ | 2 of 10 · 6 busts | Long shot | 2" | 63" 2023 | 0" 2015 · 3 of 20 |
| Apr 1–15 | 24″+ | 1 of 10 · 8 busts | Long shot | 0" | 58" 2020 | 0" 2022 · 6 of 20 |
| Apr 16–30 | 24″+ | 0 of 10 · 10 busts | Long shot | 1" | 6" 2026 | 0" 2023 · 8 of 20 |
Biggest and leanest are the two ends of the same 20 winters Typical is counted from — the year is when it happened, most recent first where more than one season ties.
At the snow sensor
Reading the snow sensor…
Field notes
Southern California's park-culture capital — Snow Summit and Bear Mountain together run some of the best-built terrain parks anywhere, over modest natural terrain, with snowmaking manufacturing a season out of thin averages.
Los Angeles weekend crowds are extreme; midweek is the only sane play. Rational as a park-skills trip or a novelty stop, not a snow-chasing destination.
Watch this window
We'll email you when Big Bear (Snow Summit)'s odds move on the Mar 1–15 window — and the quote gets recorded as it stands today, so we can be graded on it later.
Planning a whole season? See the season outlook.
These are historical odds from the last 20 winters — not a forecast. Inside 16 days of a trip, a forecast is the better instrument; beyond that, counting real seasons is the honest play. Every number on this page is quoted under methodology v1.2.0, the same math we grade ourselves against in public.