In the world of ski journalism, there are certain constants we usually rely on: The Pacific Northwest will be wet, Utah will be deep, and Colorado will offer consistent, high-altitude coverage. However, the 2025-2026 season has effectively taken that script and shredded it.
Recent data visualized by 9News meteorologist Chris Bianchi has highlighted a staggering disparity between the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Colorado Rockies—a gap that has left many Western locals scratching their heads while East Coast skiers rejoice.
The Data: A Tale of Two Winters
According to the chart shared by Bianchi, the difference isn't just marginal; it is massive. By late January 2026, Jay Peak—which consistently holds a high snow reliability score on ShredIndex—had already surpassed the 300-inch mark. To put that in perspective, Jay is currently tracking ahead of its historic 2000-2001 winter, a season often cited as the gold standard for East Coast powder.
As Bianchi noted on X (formerly Twitter):
https://twitter.com/ChrisBianchiTV/status/1751586567890100224
Conversely, the situation in Colorado is stark. Major players like Winter Park are trailing Jay Peak by approximately 200 inches. Even Wolf Creek, typically a micro-climate anomaly that leads Colorado in accumulation, is sitting far below its average.
Visual Proof from the Green Mountains
The visuals coming out of Northern Vermont have been nothing short of envy-inducing for those of us stuck in dry spells elsewhere.
This early-season abundance allowed resorts like Jay to spin lifts ahead of schedule in November 2025, setting the tone for what has become a relentless winter storm cycle. If you are planning to chase this historic cycle in Vermont, leave the carving skis in the rack. You are going to need something with significant waist width to handle this density. I'd recommend looking at something like the Atomic Bent 110 Skis or the Salomon QST 106 to stay on top of the deep stuff.
The Broader Implications
While powder panic is the immediate concern for skiers, the meteorological context here is significant. The Western United States, particularly Colorado, recorded one of the warmest Decembers on record. By late December 2025, Colorado's statewide snowpack sat at a concerning 57% of the median average.
This matters beyond just lift lines and core shots. In the West, snowpack is water storage. A deficit of this magnitude raises red flags for water specialists and river basin managers who rely on that spring runoff. Meanwhile, the "Jay Cloud" effect in Vermont seems to be operating in overdrive, benefiting from atmospheric patterns that have funneled moisture directly into the Northern Appalachians.
The Verdict
For decades, I've covered the business of snow, and these inversions serve as a humble reminder that nature rarely adheres to our marketing brochures. For now, the East is feasting while the West waits. If you have the flexibility, this might be the year to book that trip to Burlington rather than Denver.
Source: Powder Magazine
