Powder Compass

Atlas · Northeast · NY

Whiteface

4,650′ summit · 3,430′ vert · 299 acres · avg 183″/yr

Solid odds — Feb 1–15

Delivered 24″+ in 6 of the last 10 seasons

Over 20 winters: 11 of 20 · typical 25", most land 9"–29"

Before you book

This bet missed 4 of the last 10.

1 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.

Whiteface · 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 10 20 30" NovDecJanFebMarApr
Window Bet Delivered Verdict Typical Biggest Leanest
Nov 1–15 24″+ 0 of 10 · 4 busts Long shot 5" 21" 2019 1" 2006
Nov 16–30 24″+ 1 of 10 · 1 bust Long shot 14" 37" 2018 1" 2006
Dec 1–15 24″+ 1 of 10 · 2 busts Long shot 16" 37" 2014 2" 2015
Dec 16–31 30″+ 1 of 10 · 2 busts Long shot 16" 46" 2012 5" 2023
Jan 1–15 24″+ 2 of 10 Long shot 16" 39" 2024 8" 2013
Jan 16–31 30″+ 2 of 10 · 1 bust Long shot 15" 39" 2019 5" 2018
Feb 1–15 24″+ 6 of 10 · 1 bust Solid odds 25" 44" 2008 4" 2012
Feb 16–28/29 24″+ 2 of 10 · 2 busts Long shot 15" 48" 2010 5" 2015
Mar 1–15 24″+ 4 of 10 · 3 busts Coin flip 16" 51" 2018 3" 2020
Mar 16–31 30″+ 0 of 10 · 4 busts Long shot 13" 30" 2014 2" 2018
Apr 1–15 24″+ 1 of 10 · 5 busts Long shot 10" 46" 2007 1" 2023
Apr 16–30 24″+ 1 of 10 · 6 busts Long shot 4" 33" 2022 0" 2017

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

The greatest lift-served vertical in the East, on an Olympic mountain whose Slides — inbounds avalanche-terrain gullies — open a few weeks a year and deliver the region's most serious skiing. The 'Iceface' nickname is earned the rest of the time.

Lake Placid's Olympic-village charm is the other half of the trip. State-run pricing is fair, and the cold snaps are Adirondack-serious. Time a visit to a thaw-freeze-snow cycle and hope the Slides open.

Watch this window

We'll email you when Whiteface's odds move on the Feb 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.