Powder Compass

Atlas · Pacific NW · WA

Stevens Pass

5,845′ summit · 1,784′ vert · 1,125 acres · avg 460″/yr

Strong bet — Dec 16–31

Delivered 30″+ in 9 of the last 10 seasons

Over 20 winters: 17 of 20 · typical 62", most land 49"–81"

Before you book

This bet missed 1 of the last 10.

None of the last 10 came in under 10″ — 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.

Stevens Pass · 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″+ 7 of 10 · 2 busts Solid odds 32" 65" 2006 4" 2019
Nov 16–30 24″+ 6 of 10 Solid odds 41" 69" 2011 13" 2023
Dec 1–15 24″+ 6 of 10 Solid odds 38" 93" 2015 2" 2011
Dec 16–31 30″+ 9 of 10 Strong bet 62" 99" 2017 19" 2023
Jan 1–15 24″+ 9 of 10 Strong bet 54" 140" 2020 15" 2017
Jan 16–31 30″+ 5 of 10 Coin flip 28" 100" 2012 12" 2009
Feb 1–15 24″+ 6 of 10 Solid odds 32" 109" 2020 7" 2009
Feb 16–28/29 24″+ 8 of 10 Strong bet 39" 102" 2021 5" 2008
Mar 1–15 24″+ 8 of 10 · 1 bust Strong bet 30" 94" 2026 7" 2021
Mar 16–31 30″+ 4 of 10 · 1 bust Coin flip 35" 68" 2017 7" 2019
Apr 1–15 24″+ 5 of 10 · 1 bust Coin flip 22" 71" 2018 6" 2020
Apr 16–30 24″+ 2 of 10 · 2 busts Long shot 16" 33" 2017 1" 2016

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

Highway 2's storm funnel — dense old-growth glades (the Mill Valley trees are elite), pockets of real steep, and a night-skiing operation that laps powder into the evening. Compact and very tolerant of wet snow.

Epic Pass. There's no lodging at the pass — Leavenworth's Bavarian kitsch, half an hour east, is the fun base. The road on a powder Saturday is misery; ski it midweek. Snow quality can swing from blower to concrete within a single storm.

Watch this window

We'll email you when Stevens Pass's odds move on the Dec 16–31 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.