40 resorts · 40 winters · 2026–27 outlook
Not on average: El Niño winters here have been about normal, good and bad mixed. El Niño winters have brought Vermont and the Northeast's resorts about the same snow as a typical winter, and 6% less snow in the strongest El Niño winters.
The Northeast shows almost no average El Niño effect: snowier and leaner El Niño winters have about canceled out. The strongest El Niño winters have tended to run leaner and milder.
Of 40 resorts, 39 show no clear effect and 1 gets less.
+5% snow in El Niño winters, −1% in strong ones. Little effect.
+4% snow in El Niño winters, −4% in strong ones. Little effect.
+4% snow in El Niño winters, −3% in strong ones. Little effect.
Chasing El Niño snow? Head south: New Mexico & Arizona (+23% on average).
Snowfall in El Niño winters compared with each resort's 40-winter average (mid-mountain, Nov–Apr). The percentage is the average; the color says whether you can count on it.
| # | Resort | El Niñosnow vs. avg | La Niñasnow vs. avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shawness PeakME | +5% | −3% |
| 2 | Mount SunapeeNH | +4% | −2% |
| 3 | Ragged MounainNH | +4% | −1% |
| 4 | Hunter MountainNY | +3% | −3% |
| 5 | Mount SnowVT | +3% | −2% |
| 6 | Cranmore MountainNH | +3% | −1% |
| 7 | GunstockNH | +3% | −2% |
| 8 | Snowshoe MountainWV | +3% | −7% |
| 9 | Sunday RiverME | +3% | −1% |
| 10 | Windham MountainNY | +3% | −4% |
| 11 | Wildcat MountainNH | +3% | −0% |
| 12 | StrattonVT | +2% | −2% |
| 13 | BousquetMA | +2% | −3% |
| 14 | Bromley MountainVT | +2% | −1% |
| 15 | OkemoVT | +2% | −1% |
| 16 | SugarloafME | +2% | +1% |
| 17 | Saddleback MaineME | +2% | +1% |
| 18 | Berkshire EastMA | +2% | −2% |
| 19 | AttitashNH | +2% | +0% |
| 20 | Bretton WoodsNH | +2% | +0% |
| 21 | Waterville ValleyNH | +1% | +0% |
| 22 | Greek PeakNY | +1% | −1% |
| 23 | Loon MountainNH | +0% | +1% |
| 24 | Swain ResortNY | +0% | −0% |
| 25 | KillingtonVT | +0% | +1% |
| 26 | Cannon MountainNH | −0% | +1% |
| 27 | Labrador MountainNY | −0% | −2% |
| 28 | Kissing BridgeNY | −0% | +0% |
| 29 | Holiday ValleyNY | −1% | +1% |
| 30 | Pico MountainVT | −1% | +1% |
| 31 | Burke MountainVT | −2% | +2% |
| 32 | Seven SpringsPA | −3% | −2% |
| 33 | SugarbushVT | −3% | +3% |
| 34 | Gore MountainNY | −3% | +1% |
| 35 | StoweVT | −3% | +2% |
| 36 | Mad River GlenVT | −3% | +3% |
| 37 | Smugglers NotchVT | −4% | +3% |
| 38 | Jay PeakVT | −4% | +2% |
| 39 | Whiteface MountainNY | −4% | +1% |
| 40 | Dry HillNY | −7% | +0% |
2026–27 is shaping up as a strong El Niño. Here's how each Northeast resort did in the 4 strongest El Niño winters since 1986 (peak index +1.5°C or more), compared with its own average. A handful of winters, so read it as history, not a forecast.
| Resort | 1991–92 | 1997–98 | 2015–16 | 2023–24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawness Peak | −9% | +23% | −35% | +16% |
| Mount Sunapee | −11% | +26% | −45% | +16% |
| Ragged Mounain | −11% | +24% | −41% | +16% |
| Hunter Mountain | −29% | +23% | −65% | −7% |
| Mount Snow | −9% | +17% | −47% | +15% |
| Cranmore Mountain | −10% | +22% | −30% | +13% |
| Gunstock | −10% | +24% | −41% | +5% |
| Snowshoe Mountain | −31% | +53% | −31% | −28% |
| Sunday River | −10% | +18% | −32% | +20% |
| Windham Mountain | −27% | +17% | −64% | −5% |
| Wildcat Mountain | −4% | +14% | −25% | +20% |
| Stratton | −12% | +17% | −44% | +17% |
| Bousquet | −18% | +12% | −61% | −4% |
| Bromley Mountain | −11% | +18% | −44% | +18% |
| Okemo | −9% | +22% | −42% | +18% |
| Sugarloaf | −14% | +12% | −12% | +21% |
| Saddleback Maine | −13% | +12% | −13% | +21% |
| Berkshire East | −15% | +21% | −50% | −1% |
| Attitash | −14% | +24% | −30% | +4% |
| Bretton Woods | −8% | +19% | −30% | +10% |
| Waterville Valley | −6% | +14% | −22% | +14% |
| Greek Peak | −4% | +26% | −57% | −25% |
| Loon Mountain | −11% | +20% | −31% | +5% |
| Swain Resort | +10% | +16% | −37% | −34% |
| Killington | −12% | +19% | −36% | +20% |
| Cannon Mountain | −2% | +13% | −25% | +17% |
| Labrador Mountain | −4% | +26% | −52% | −29% |
| Kissing Bridge | +10% | +11% | −35% | −35% |
| Holiday Valley | +7% | +4% | −35% | −33% |
| Pico Mountain | −13% | +18% | −33% | +23% |
| Burke Mountain | −9% | +16% | −25% | +9% |
| Seven Springs | −18% | +8% | −35% | −33% |
| Sugarbush | −13% | +21% | −32% | +15% |
| Gore Mountain | −8% | +26% | −37% | +21% |
| Stowe | −11% | +16% | −22% | +8% |
| Mad River Glen | −13% | +21% | −30% | +14% |
| Smugglers Notch | −11% | +18% | −25% | +6% |
| Jay Peak | −11% | +15% | −19% | +3% |
| Whiteface Mountain | −5% | +24% | −21% | +15% |
| Dry Hill | +3% | +13% | −26% | −26% |
| Northeast average | −10% | +19% | −35% | +3% |
Every North American resort is on the El Niño map and full ranking, with how we measured it: 40 winters of ERA5-Land weather at each resort's mid-mountain elevation, tagged by NOAA's Oceanic Niño Index and checked against 89 SNOTEL snow stations.