Powder Compass

Atlas · Pacific NW · WA

Mt Baker

5,089′ summit · 1,589′ vert · 1,000 acres · avg 663″/yr

Strong bet — Dec 1–15

Delivered 24″+ in 10 of the last 10 seasons

Over 20 winters: 17 of 20 · typical 56", most land 28"–81"

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 Baker · 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″+ 8 of 10 · 1 bust Strong bet 46" 100" 2009 5" 2014
Nov 16–30 24″+ 7 of 10 Solid odds 61" 114" 2009 16" 2023
Dec 1–15 24″+ 10 of 10 Strong bet 56" 121" 2012 2" 2011
Dec 16–31 30″+ 9 of 10 Strong bet 90" 139" 2007 26" 2023
Jan 1–15 24″+ 8 of 10 Strong bet 76" 168" 2020 11" 2017
Jan 16–31 30″+ 9 of 10 Strong bet 40" 156" 2018 16" 2014
Feb 1–15 24″+ 8 of 10 Strong bet 52" 125" 2008 12" 2012
Feb 16–28/29 24″+ 9 of 10 Strong bet 57" 117" 2012 4" 2015
Mar 1–15 24″+ 9 of 10 Strong bet 49" 129" 2012 16" 2015
Mar 16–31 30″+ 7 of 10 · 1 bust Solid odds 54" 101" 2017 8" 2019
Apr 1–15 24″+ 8 of 10 · 1 bust Strong bet 36" 91" 2022 6" 2020
Apr 16–30 24″+ 3 of 10 · 3 busts Long shot 22" 49" 2014 0" 2026

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

Holder of the world single-season snowfall record — 1,140 inches in the winter of 1998–99 — and the spiritual home of freeride snowboarding: the Legendary Banked Slalom, endless natural terrain features, and sidecountry that demands respect. A deep-snow rider's finishing school.

No lodging on the mountain — cabins in Glacier or a base in Bellingham, an hour out. Independent, cheap tickets, cash-only vibes. It rains some weeks and dumps absurdly the rest: buy the storm, not the calendar.

Watch this window

We'll email you when Mt Baker's odds move on the Dec 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.