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Alta ski resort
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Tier A — Prime El Niño terrain

📷 Alta

North America

Alta

Off-season

Last season ended April 25, 2026

Conditions data updated Fri, Aug 28, 09:00 AM UTC · informational only

Off-season — closed April 25

Weather data is still collected for informational purposes.

Last Snowfall

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Past 24 Hours

0cm

Past 48 Hours

0cm

Past 10 Days

0cm

14-Day Forecast

0.2cm

Snow Depth

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🎿

Powder Days

7

2026–27 season

Updated: Aug 28, 9:00 AM•Weather at base: 2600m

Overview

Alta is a ski resort in North America, United States, currently closed for the season (Last season ended April 25, 2026). Conditions last updated 2026-08-28 09:00 UTC.

Resort Guide

Alta is a historic ski resort located in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, renowned for its deep powder snow and skier-only slopes. The resort features over 2,600 skiable acres, a relaxed and authentic mountain atmosphere, and terrain that caters to both advanced and intermediate skiers. Signature experiences include abundant natural snowfall, scenic alpine vistas, and a focus on traditional skiing without snowboarders. Key amenities include multiple lodges, on-mountain dining, and convenient access to Salt Lake City.

Resort Info

Summit3374m
Base2600m
Vertical774m
Lifts8
Runs118
Skiable Area2614 acres
Average snowfall540 inches / 1372 cm
CountryUnited States
Visit Resort Website →Follow on Instagram →

Season dates

Last season endedApril 25, 2026
Projected openingDecember 6, 2026

Ski passes

Ikon Pass

Ikon Pass

View resorts →
Mountain Collective

Mountain Collective

View resorts →

Access tiers change by season — confirm benefits on the pass operator's site.

Top Après Ski

The Peruvian Bar – Known for its laid-back, welcoming vibe and classic ski lodge atmosphere, this iconic après-ski spot at the Alta Peruvian Lodge is celebrated for its affordable drinks, friendly crowd, and legendary popcorn machine, making it a favorite gathering place for skiers to unwind after a day on the slopes.

Snow Summary

3374mECMWF Model

Updated Aug 28, 2026 at 9:00 AM

0cm
24h
0cm
Past 10d
14-Day Forecast
0
Prev10d
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Now28
—
S29
—
S30
—
M31
—
T1
—
W2
—
T3
Past
Today
Forecast

Snowfall Forecast Maps

Utah region

Current Conditions

Reported Fri, Aug 28, 09:00 AM UTC

Depth by source

every reading we have
  • SNOTELBase 3cm

The headline depth uses the most trusted available source. We show every reading so you can judge for yourself.

Base

2600m

Temp

16.3°C

Wind

1km/h

Snow Depth

--

14-Day Forecast

0.2cm

Mid-Mountain

2987m

Temp

13.8°C

Wind

1km/h

Snow Depth

--

14-Day Forecast

0.2cm

Summit

3374m

Temp

11.2°C

Wind

1km/h

Snow Depth

--

14-Day Forecast

0.2cm

El Niño Outlook · Winter 2026-27

Alta El Niño rank & forecast

Alta ranks #48 of 488 SnowSure resorts — Tier A, +12% in strong El Niño winters.

Tier A — Prime El Niño terrain: Historically snowed much more than normal in strong El Niño winters (≥ +8% vs this resort’s own 30-year average).

#48 of 488Tier A — Prime El Niño terrain

Strong-event signal: +12% vs this resort's 30-yr avg

In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Alta averaged +12% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline — one of the strongest positive El Niño signals we track. With NOAA forecasting a potentially record event for winter 2026-27, history says this is the winter to book Alta with confidence. Individual analog winters: '97-98 -13%, '15-16 -31%, '23-24 +80%. A lean, not a law — but the lean is firmly up.

'97-98 −13%'15-16 −31%'23-24 +80%

Signal = average snowfall in the three strongest El Niño winters since 1996 ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24) vs this resort's own 30-year ERA5 baseline. n=3 — a lean, not a law. Updated monthly against measured snowfall Dec–Mar.

Full El Niño report →

Live Conditions

Alta Webcams

All Webcams

Alta Ski Area

Alta Ski Area

2 webcams • Click to expand

Snow Stake Cam

All Snow Stake Cams

Alta Ski Area

1 snow stake cam • Click to expand

Local Reports

0 reports
SnowSure™ Forecast Range

Daily Snowfall Forecast by Model

Black line = verified SnowSure™ blend (not a simple average). Weights update weekly from measured snowfall at SNOTEL stations and resort reports.

SnowSure™ blend — verified model weighting

The black line is not a simple average. For Alta (rockies), we combine seven global weather models using weights learned from daily forecast verification — comparing each model's prediction to measured snowfall (SNOTEL, resort reports, ERA5).

  • 1.Horizon buckets: days 1–3, 4–7, and 8–14 each get separate weights — short-range skill differs from long-range.
  • 2.Regional calibration: weights come from verified error in this geography (Rockies, Alps, Japan, etc.), recalculated weekly.
  • 3.Ground truth only: we never grade a forecast against another model — only against measured snow.

Building verification history for this resort.

How we verify forecasts →

Hourly Forecast Detail

AM / PM / Night breakdown with wind and freezing level

NWP models refresh up to 4× daily · Last synced Aug 28, 9:00 AM

Hourly Forecast Detail
 
Today
18 / 81.4mm
Sat, Aug 29
11 / 511.1mm
Sun, Aug 30
12 / 52.9mm
Mon, Aug 31
12 / 52.5mm
Tue, Sep 1
14 / 50.6mm
Wed, Sep 2
15 / 4
PeriodAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNight
Snow (cm)000000000000000000
Precip (mm)001.45.14.21.80.60.91.401.5100.60000
Temp (°C)13171171087127711681388149
Wind (km/h)8203411369341239178111610
Gusts (km/h)447431435232334429325837497251495458

14-Day Snow Forecast by Model

Summit elevation (3374m)

ECMWF
0cm
GFS
0cm
GEM
0cm
JMA
0.6cm
ICON
0cm
Météo-Fr
0cm
SnowSure™
0.2cm

10-Day Forecast

Today

28

🌧️

17.6°

8°

23 km/h

Sat

29

🌧️

10.9°

5.1°

11 km/h

Sun

30

🌧️

11.9°

4.8°

10 km/h

Mon

31

🌧️

11.8°

4.8°

13 km/h

Tue

1

🌧️

13.9°

4.9°

18 km/h

Wed

2

☀️

14.5°

4.2°

17 km/h

Thu

3

🌧️

16°

5.8°

16 km/h

Fri

4

🌧️

10.1°

5.9°

9 km/h

Sat

5

🌧️

11°

5.4°

8 km/h

Sun

6

⛅

11.5°

2°

8 km/h

Summit elevation (3374m) • ECMWF model

Avalanche

Off-season — no rating published

Utah Avalanche Center

Watch for signs of unstable snow such as recent avalanches, cracking in the snow, and audible collapsing. Avoid traveling on or under similar slopes.

Read the official bulletin ↗

SnowSure relays the official avalanche bulletin and does not issue avalanche forecasts. Read the full bulletin at the issuer’s link and make your own terrain decisions. Not a substitute for avalanche education, equipment, or local knowledge.

Getting There

Drive times & access

Last updated 9:45 AM

6 cameras · 3 sensors nearby

Official map ↗

Drive conditions

Quiet — No winter restrictions — typical off-season pavement

No chain controls or closures on the highways SnowSure watches near Alta. Nearest roadside sensor (Alta - Base, 0.9 km): Above freezing, air 11°C. Late-season / summer readings are not a winter forecast. The resort road status and the official DOT map are authoritative — re-check before you drive.

SnowSure take, grounded in live DOT sensors. Not the resort's road status.

Roadside weather sensors

Alta - Base

0.9 km · UDOT

Above freezing

Air
11°C
Wind
6 km/h

Updated 4:10 AM

SR-210 @ Alta

1.1 km · UDOT

Above freezing

Road surface
18°C
Air
15°C
Wind
6 km/h

Updated 9:30 AM

Alta - Collins

1.2 km · UDOT

Above freezing

Air
6°C

Updated 4:10 AM

Highway cameras near Alta

Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 WB @ Alta / MP 12.16, ALT road camera
Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 WB @ Alta / MP 12.16, ALT1.1 km · UDOT
Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 EB @ Alta Bypass / MP 10.95, SL road camera
Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 EB @ Alta Bypass / MP 10.95, SL1.5 km · UDOT
Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 WB @ Upper White Pine / MP 9.7, SL road camera
Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 WB @ Upper White Pine / MP 9.7, SL3.2 km · UDOT
Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 EB @ White Pine Parking / MP 9.2, SL road camera
Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 EB @ White Pine Parking / MP 9.2, SL3.9 km · UDOT
Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 @ White Pine / MP 8.7, SL road camera
Little Cottonwood Rd / SR-210 @ White Pine / MP 8.7, SL4.6 km · UDOT
Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd / SR-190 @ Brighton / MP 16.07, BTN road camera
Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd / SR-190 @ Brighton / MP 16.07, BTN5.2 km · UDOT

Live highway sensors & cameras within ~30–40 km, via UDOT. Conditions on the drive, not the mountain — the resort's own road status is authoritative. Always re-check before a winter drive.

Season vs Historic

Updated Fri, Aug 28, 09:00 AM UTC

0cm

Season Total

This Season to Date

—

vs 5-Year Avg

Off-season · 388cm full-season avg

—

vs 30-Year Avg

Off-season · 268cm full-season avg

388cm

5-Yr Avg by Now

The last completed season totaled ~314.3 cm. That's 19% below the 5-year average (388 cm). Versus the 30-year baseline: 17% above the 30-year average (268 cm).

Alta Snow History

Average annual snowfall is 330cm with an average of 111 snowfall days per season. The table below shows monthly averages across 30 seasons of archive data (modeled snowpack at mid-elevation).

Average monthly snowfall history
MonthAvg SnowfallSnowfall DaysAvg Base DepthMax Base DepthBiggest Snowfall
November34.9cm12 days17cm34cm9.7cm
December50.2cm17 days49cm74cm10.8cm
January54cm16 days83cm104cm11.3cm
February50.1cm16 days101cm121cm10.6cm
March48.4cm15 days113cm132cm9.5cm
April43cm15 days107cm125cm9.3cm
May19.6cm8 days60cm98cm5.9cm

Source: SnowSure archive · Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis at mid-elevation. Depth is modeled, not resort-reported.

Season at a Glance

Next season(2026-27)

Opens Dec 6, 2026

Through Apr 25, 2027

Multi-season averages will appear once SnowSure has tracked more than one full season.

ENSO seasonal analog

History · not a forecast

In 10 past El Niño winters at Alta, ERA5 season snowfall median was 253 cm (100 in), about 7% below this resort’s long-term median. This is a historical analog from reanalysis — not a prediction of this winter’s storm track.

Prevailing ONI

El Niño

MJJ 2026 · ANOM +1.39°C

Analog season median

253 cm

10 El Niño winters · 7% below median

All-season median

274 cm

Across 30 ERA5 seasons (2026-27)

PhaseSeasonsMedianp25–p75Recent analogs
El Niñocurrent10253 cm218 cm – 368 cm2023, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2009
La Niña12282 cm242 cm – 395 cm2022, 2021, 2020, 2017, 2011, 2010
ENSO-neutral8292 cm214 cm – 482 cm2025, 2024, 2016, 2013, 2012, 2003

Season snowfall from Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (~9 km). ENSO phase from NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index. Relative phase differences are more trustworthy than absolute cm totals. Source: NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index + Open-Meteo ERA5 via SnowSure season archive.

Best Months to Visit

February

Peak Season

January

Peak Season

March

Good

December

Good

Note: Based on typical ski season patterns for this region.

Back to All Destinations

Frequently asked questions about Alta

Where is Alta?
Alta is a ski resort in the United States.
How high is Alta?
Alta runs from a base elevation of 2,600 m (8,530 ft) to a summit of 3,374 m (11,070 ft), giving a vertical drop of 774 m (2,539 ft).
How big is Alta?
Alta has 2,614 acres (1,058 hectares) of skiable terrain, 118 marked runs and 8 lifts.
Which ski pass covers Alta?
Alta is on the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective. Access terms such as blackout dates and day limits vary by pass tier, so check the pass operator for the current season.
When is ski season at Alta?
Alta typically operates from December to April. Exact opening and closing dates shift each year with snowfall — check the resort's current season dates before booking.
How much snow does Alta get in a typical season?
Alta averages 540 inches / 1372 cm of snowfall in a typical season. Any individual season can run well above or below that.
How will El Niño affect Alta in winter 2026-27?
El Niño Signal Rank: #48 of 488 SnowSure resorts · Tier A · strong-event signal +12% vs its own 30-yr average. In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Alta averaged +12% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline — one of the strongest positive El Niño signals we track. With NOAA forecasting a potentially record event for winter 2026-27, history says this is the winter to book Alta with confidence. Individual analog winters: '97-98 -13%, '15-16 -31%, '23-24 +80%. A lean, not a law — but the lean is firmly up.