Skip to main content
Sugarloaf ski resort
Ikon PassView resortsMountain CollectiveView resorts
Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar

📷 Sugarloaf

North America

Sugarloaf

Closed for the season

Season ended April 12, 2026 · reopens November 22, 2026

Conditions data updated Fri, Aug 28, 09:04 AM UTC · informational only

Closed for the season — closed April 12

Weather data is still collected for informational purposes.

Last Snowfall

--

Past 24 Hours

0cm

Past 48 Hours

0cm

Past 10 Days

0cm

14-Day Forecast

0cm

Snow Depth

--

🎿

Powder Days

6

2026–27 season

☀️

Bluebird Days

1

2026–27 season

Updated: Aug 28, 9:04 AM•Weather at base: 823m

Overview

Sugarloaf is a ski resort in North America, United States, currently closed for the season (Season ended April 12, 2026 · reopens November 22, 2026). Conditions last updated 2026-08-28 09:04 UTC.

Resort Guide

Sugarloaf is a major ski resort located in Carrabassett Valley, Maine, offering the largest skiable area in the East with over 1,200 acres and the only lift-serviced above-treeline skiing in the region. The resort features a variety of terrain for all abilities, a vibrant base village, and amenities including lodging, dining, and a sports and fitness center. Signature experiences include the Snowfields, extensive Nordic trails, and year-round activities, making Sugarloaf a prominent destination for both alpine and cross-country skiing.

Resort Info

Summit1291m
Base823m
Vertical468m
Lifts15
Runs176
Skiable Area1360 acres
Average snowfall200 inches / 508 cm
CountryUnited States
Visit Resort Website →Follow on Instagram →

Season dates

Season endedApril 12, 2026 · reopens November 22, 2026
Projected openingNovember 22, 2026

Future dates are operator estimates and may change.

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 Widowmaker – A legendary après-ski bar perched atop Sugarloaf’s mountain, The Widowmaker is celebrated for its panoramic views, live music, energetic crowd, and classic ski town atmosphere, making it the go-to spot for unwinding after a day on the slopes.

Snow Summary

1291mECMWF Model

Updated Aug 28, 2026 at 9:04 AM

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

Snowfall Forecast Maps

Northeast US region

Current Conditions

Reported Fri, Aug 28, 09:04 AM UTC

Base

823m

Temp

14.1°C

Wind

4.5km/h

Snow Depth

--

14-Day Forecast

0cm

Mid-Mountain

1057m

Temp

--°C

Wind

5km/h

Snow Depth

--

14-Day Forecast

0cm

Summit

1291m

Temp

11.1°C

Wind

4.5km/h

Snow Depth

--

14-Day Forecast

0cm

El Niño Outlook · Winter 2026-27

Sugarloaf El Niño rank & forecast

Sugarloaf ranks #260 of 488 SnowSure resorts — Tier D, −4% in strong El Niño winters.

Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar: Often a bit lighter early (−3% to −8% vs normal). History favors waiting for peak-depth months (often Feb–Mar) rather than skipping the resort.

#260 of 488Tier D — Late bloomer — aim Feb–Mar

Strong-event signal: −4% vs this resort's 30-yr avg

In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Sugarloaf averaged -3% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. Historically this is a timing play rather than a reason to stay home: aim for late winter (February–March) in winter 2026-27. Analog winters: '97-98 0%, '15-16 -40%, '23-24 +30%. A pattern, not a promise.

'97-98 0%'15-16 −40%'23-24 +30%

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

Sugarloaf Webcams

All Webcams

Sugarloaf

Sugarloaf

Sugarloaf

Sugarloaf

4 webcams • Click to expand

Snow Stake Cam

All Snow Stake Cams

Sugarloaf

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 Sugarloaf (east coast), 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, 9:04 AM

Hourly Forecast Detail
 
Today
19 / 90.9mm
Sat, Aug 29
15 / 4
Sun, Aug 30
16 / 71.5mm
Mon, Aug 31
16 / 70.6mm
Tue, Sep 1
13 / 612.6mm
Wed, Sep 2
14 / 93mm
PeriodAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNight
Snow (cm)000000000000000000
Precip (mm)00.60.300000.60.9000.60.39.62.700.62.4
Temp (°C)14181291581316101015910118111311
Wind (km/h)5910912814159111010483243
Gusts (km/h)203329283426414631323231143027293330

14-Day Snow Forecast by Model

Summit elevation (1291m)

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

10-Day Forecast

Today

28

🌧️

18.5°

9.3°

13 km/h

Sat

29

☁️

15.4°

4.2°

13 km/h

Sun

30

🌧️

16.2°

6.8°

17 km/h

Mon

31

🌧️

15.8°

6.6°

15 km/h

Tue

1

🌧️

12.7°

5.6°

9 km/h

Wed

2

🌧️

13.7°

9.3°

5 km/h

Thu

3

🌧️

17.8°

10.6°

18 km/h

Fri

4

🌧️

15.5°

8.8°

16 km/h

Sat

5

🌧️

14.5°

7.7°

10 km/h

Sun

6

🌧️

13.1°

6.3°

9 km/h

Summit elevation (1291m) • ECMWF model

Avalanche

No bulletin for this mountain

Avalanche.org (US avalanche centers)

This resort lies outside every forecast zone published by its national warning service, so no bulletin covers it.

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 1:50 PM

3 cameras · 3 sensors nearby

Official map ↗

Drive conditions

Caution — Go prepared — roadside sensors show wintery pavement

Pavement looks wintery on a roadside sensor near Sugarloaf. Nearest roadside sensor (Franklin County, 15 km): Below freezing — ice risk, air 0°C. Pack traction gear even if the chain board is still dark. 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

Franklin County

15 km · NewEngland511

Below freezing — ice risk

Road surface
0°C
Air
0°C
Wind
0 km/h

Updated 5:12 PM

Crew 324

20.6 km · NewEngland511

Below freezing — ice risk

Road surface
0°C
Air
0°C
Wind
0 km/h

Updated 5:12 PM

Maine DOT - Rt. 4 SB Sandy River

26.4 km · NewEngland511

Above freezing

Road surface
19°C
Air
16°C
Wind
0 km/h
Precip
Dry

Updated 1:50 PM

Highway cameras near Sugarloaf

RT 27 Mile 112 NB Carrabassett Valley road camera
RT 27 Mile 112 NB Carrabassett Valley9.6 km · NewEngland511
RT27 Mile 127 SB (Eustis) road camera
RT27 Mile 127 SB (Eustis)12 km · NewEngland511
Maine DOT - Rt. 4 SB Sandy River RWIS road camera
Maine DOT - Rt. 4 SB Sandy River RWIS26.4 km · NewEngland511

Live highway sensors & cameras within ~30–40 km, via NewEngland511. 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, 09:04 AM UTC

0cm

Season Total

This Season to Date

—

vs 5-Year Avg

Off-season · 213cm full-season avg

—

vs 30-Year Avg

Off-season · 212cm full-season avg

213cm

5-Yr Avg by Now

The last completed season totaled ~157.6 cm. That's 26% below the 5-year average (213 cm). Versus the 30-year baseline: 26% below the 30-year average (212 cm).

Sugarloaf Snow History

Average annual snowfall is 227cm with an average of 86 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
November22.5cm10 days4cm14cm9.5cm
December43cm16 days22cm40cm13.5cm
January40.4cm17 days46cm65cm13.2cm
February42.5cm15 days65cm82cm14.1cm
March42.2cm15 days66cm85cm13.9cm
April27cm10 days39cm65cm10.4cm
May2.6cm1 days3cm18cm3.7cm

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

Season at a Glance

13 tracked seasons

Last completed season(2023-24)

171 days↑ +7d

Nov 17, 2023 → May 5, 2024

Prior season (2022-23): 164 days

Average season length

161 days

Across 13 tracked seasons

Range: 122–176 days

Next season(2026-27)

Opens Nov 22, 2026

Tracked seasons

2023-24

171d

2022-23

164d

2021-22

161d

2020-21

154d

2019-20

122d

2018-19

171d

ENSO seasonal analog

History · not a forecast

In 10 past El Niño winters at Sugarloaf, ERA5 season snowfall median was 224 cm (88 in), about 1% above 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

224 cm

10 El Niño winters · 1% above median

All-season median

221 cm

Across 30 ERA5 seasons (2026-27)

PhaseSeasonsMedianp25–p75Recent analogs
El Niñocurrent10224 cm203 cm – 290 cm2023, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2009
La Niña12228 cm186 cm – 264 cm2022, 2021, 2020, 2017, 2011, 2010
ENSO-neutral8206 cm195 cm – 244 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 Sugarloaf

Where is Sugarloaf?
Sugarloaf is a ski resort in the United States.
How high is Sugarloaf?
Sugarloaf runs from a base elevation of 823 m (2,700 ft) to a summit of 1,291 m (4,236 ft), giving a vertical drop of 468 m (1,535 ft).
How big is Sugarloaf?
Sugarloaf has 1,360 acres (550 hectares) of skiable terrain, 176 marked runs and 15 lifts.
Which ski pass covers Sugarloaf?
Sugarloaf 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 Sugarloaf?
Sugarloaf typically operates from November 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 Sugarloaf get in a typical season?
Sugarloaf averages 200 inches / 508 cm of snowfall in a typical season. Any individual season can run well above or below that.
How will El Niño affect Sugarloaf in winter 2026-27?
El Niño Signal Rank: #260 of 488 SnowSure resorts · Tier D · strong-event signal -3% vs its own 30-yr average. In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Sugarloaf averaged -3% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. Historically this is a timing play rather than a reason to stay home: aim for late winter (February–March) in winter 2026-27. Analog winters: '97-98 0%, '15-16 -40%, '23-24 +30%. A pattern, not a promise.