Powder Compass

Atlas · Pacific NW · OR

Mt Hood Meadows

7,300′ summit · 2,777′ vert · 2,150 acres · avg 430″/yr

Strong bet — Feb 16–28/29

Delivered 24″+ in 10 of the last 10 seasons

Over 20 winters: 16 of 20 · typical 52", most land 29"–59"

Before you book

This bet missed 0 of the last 10.

None 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.

Mt Hood Meadows · 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.

0 30 60 90" NovDecJanFebMarApr
Window Bet Delivered Verdict Typical Biggest Leanest
Nov 1–15 24″+ 5 of 10 · 4 busts Coin flip 13" 80" 2020 0" 2019
Nov 16–30 24″+ 6 of 10 Solid odds 30" 76" 2022 1" 2008
Dec 1–15 24″+ 8 of 10 Strong bet 30" 86" 2021 2" 2011
Dec 16–31 30″+ 9 of 10 Strong bet 58" 139" 2021 5" 2013
Jan 1–15 24″+ 9 of 10 Strong bet 42" 171" 2020 2" 2015
Jan 16–31 30″+ 7 of 10 · 1 bust Solid odds 31" 101" 2018 1" 2015
Feb 1–15 24″+ 8 of 10 Strong bet 29" 109" 2021 1" 2015
Feb 16–28/29 24″+ 10 of 10 Strong bet 52" 110" 2018 3" 2015
Mar 1–15 24″+ 8 of 10 Strong bet 35" 86" 2026 0" 2015
Mar 16–31 30″+ 6 of 10 · 2 busts Solid odds 34" 90" 2025 9" 2026
Apr 1–15 24″+ 6 of 10 Solid odds 25" 98" 2022 5" 2016
Apr 16–30 24″+ 4 of 10 · 4 busts Coin flip 11" 51" 2017 1" 2019

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

Hood's terrain leader — Heather Canyon's gated steeps and natural halfpipes, the A-Zone glades, and deep Cascade snow. The best pure riding on the mountain by a wide margin.

No lodging at the base; Hood River — a great little town — or Government Camp hold the beds. Portland day-trip crowds spike on weekends. Heather opens on patrol's schedule, so mid-storm-cycle visits get the most from it.

Watch this window

We'll email you when Mt Hood Meadows's odds move on the Feb 16–28/29 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.