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Nubs Nob December Skiing

Nubs Nob snow in December

Data show December is the third best month Nubs Nob for overall snow quality when considering the following factors:

  • Snow quantity at Nubs Nob
  • Snow quality at Nubs Nob
  • How much snow is required for proper terrain coverage at Nubs Nob—steeper resorts require more snow to get 100% open.
  • Nubs Nob's snow frequency (standard deviation)
  • Nubs Nob's elevation
  • Nubs Nob's latitude
  • Nubs Nob's slope aspects - more north-facing slopes protect snow later into winter
Nubs Nob snow score by month, December in focus
December
Dec1
Dec15
Jan1
Jan15
Feb1
Feb15
Mar1
Mar15
Apr1
Apr15

Nubs Nob this winter: El Niño

NOAA's latest reading shows strong El Niño conditions heading into 2026–27. Over 40 winters, El Niño winters have brought Nubs Nob 11% less snow than average, and 10% less snow in the strongest ones. Less snow: a clear, consistent drop in snow.

How El Niño affects Nubs Nob → · El Niño and Midwest ski resorts

Nubs Nob in December, by the numbers

By ZRankings' snow data, Nubs Nob's December snow scores 7 out of 100, its 3rd-best month, 173rd of the 220 North American resorts we track. Over 40 winters of weather data, it snows or rains on about 33% of December days, the sun reaches 60% of its clear-sky potential, and mid-mountain highs average 31°F with lows near 23°F.

December snow score 7/100 173rd of 220 resorts · its 3rd-best month
Sunshine 60% of clear-sky sun · sunnier than 18% of resorts
Storm days 33% of December days bring snow or rain
Rain at the base 7% of days; 6.0% at the summit
Average December temperatures
HighLow
Summit30°F22°F
Mid-mountain31°F23°F
Base31°F24°F

Passes for 2026-27: Indy Pass (2 days). Compare passes.

What matters when it comes to snow for December skiing:

Finding good snow early in the season is often a game of chance. But there are mountains and regions that historically perform better than others. We take these factors into account when grading out our scores for resorts and the given season. That said, it's almost always a better bet, in terms of snow and open terrain, to ski in January or Feburary compared with December.

But skiing during the December holidays is a great tradition and it's also one of the only times many families can get away for extended periods.

Those skiing December should look for ski resorts with high average annual snowfalls and low standard deviations. In addition, steep and rocky ski resorts need more snow to get terrain open compared with ski resorts with more modest terrain.

This is also the time of year when slope aspects—north, east, south, west—matter the least. The sun is at it lowest angles in North America in December and has less effect on the snowpack at this time of year than at any other. So ski resorts that possess lots of south-facing and east-facing terrain will generally ski better—assuming there is enough snow—during these darkest times of winter rather than the spring. More explanation on this topic can be found on our snow rankings page.

Nubs Nob skiing by month:
Nubs Nob
By Month