Powder Compass

Atlas · Southwest · AZ

Arizona Snowbowl

11,500′ summit · 2,300′ vert · 777 acres · avg 260″/yr

Strong bet — Mar 1–15

Delivered 24″+ in 8 of the last 10 seasons

Over 20 winters: 11 of 20 · typical 27", most land 4"–44"

Before you book

This bet missed 2 of the last 10.

2 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.

Arizona Snowbowl · 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 20 40 60" NovDecJanFebMarApr
Window Bet Delivered Verdict Typical Biggest Leanest
Nov 1–15 24″+ 0 of 10 · 7 busts Long shot 0" 29" 2011 0" 2025 · 7 of 20
Nov 16–30 24″+ 2 of 10 · 5 busts Long shot 4" 140" 2019 0" 2022 · 3 of 20
Dec 1–15 24″+ 2 of 10 · 6 busts Long shot 17" 61" 2009 0" 2017 · 2 of 20
Dec 16–31 30″+ 4 of 10 · 5 busts Coin flip 21" 96" 2008 0" 2024
Jan 1–15 24″+ 4 of 10 · 3 busts Coin flip 14" 120" 2023 0" 2021 · 2 of 20
Jan 16–31 30″+ 3 of 10 · 4 busts Long shot 15" 144" 2010 1" 2011
Feb 1–15 24″+ 5 of 10 · 2 busts Coin flip 17" 91" 2024 0" 2015
Feb 16–28/29 24″+ 6 of 10 · 2 busts Solid odds 22" 85" 2017 0" 2025 · 2 of 20
Mar 1–15 24″+ 8 of 10 · 2 busts Strong bet 27" 103" 2023 0" 2007
Mar 16–31 30″+ 5 of 10 · 2 busts Coin flip 13" 109" 2023 0" 2026 · 2 of 20
Apr 1–15 24″+ 2 of 10 · 5 busts Long shot 6" 33" 2020 0" 2021 · 2 of 20
Apr 16–30 24″+ 2 of 10 · 5 busts Long shot 6" 29" 2024 0" 2023 · 4 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

A real mountain hiding in the desert — steep upper-bowl terrain off the Agassiz side of the San Francisco Peaks, long fall-line groomers below. When a storm cycle connects, the volcanic bowls ski like a miniature Rockies resort; between storms it settles into an honest groomer-and-trees hill.

The switchback road up from Flagstaff is the choke point: weekends and powder days jam it by mid-morning, so arrive early or wait out the rush. Midweek storm days are the quiet play — the hill empties out, and the snow keeps.

Watch this window

We'll email you when Arizona Snowbowl'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.