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Alyeska


Ikon Pass

Alyeska Resort


Ikon Pass
Alyeska Lodging Map M
Alyeska Snow Totals
Upcoming Snow Potential
3-Day
0"
5-Day
0"
10-Day
11"
This is Less Than Average for Alyeska
THE
LOW
DOWN
Alyeska Key Knowledge: Alyeska is as unique a ski resort as Alaska is a state. Locals love the place, but it's beginning to pick up with destination skiers as it's a good combination with a day or two of heliskiiing the best terrain in the world (the Alaskan Chugach). Hotel Alyeska is a premier ski hotel, with fantastic access to the slopes and four-star rooms. Seven Glaciers, the restaurant at the top of the tram, is worth the journey by itself. Alyeska is just a 45-minute ocean-view drive from Anchorage.
Alyeska skiing by month:
Alyeska
By Month

Core Strengths

Alyeska
Snow Volume
87.8
Snow Quality
82.5
Overall
80.3
Overall
Overall PAF Score

Overall
Rank

25

Rank in
Region

1

Rank in
State

1

This resort is often compared with:

Mt Baker
Palisades Tahoe
Grand Targhee
Alyeska Snow Quality Across Full Winter
Click ON/OFF:
Alyeska Snowfall Last 10 Days (inches)

Powder
Forecast

Powder Forecast
ZRANKINGS EXCLUSIVE
Monday
Day
0"
Night
0"
Tuesday
Day
0"
Night
0"
Wednesday
Day
0"
Night
0"
Thursday
Day
0"
Night
0"
Friday
Day
0"
Night
1"
True Snow: 488" per year
Snow Quality Rank

10

Accounts for resorts' snow quantity, moisture content, latitude, elevation, and slope aspects.

Dump Potential Rank

7

Alyeska Resort is ranked No. 7 in North America for its total snowfall during an average season.

Historical Powder Odds
Daily Lottery

% of days with more than 6" of snow

20.4%

Extended Stay

% of months with more than 90" of snow

45.5%

Drought Threat

% of months with less than 30" of snow

9.4%

*Special thanks to Tony Crocker and Bestsnow.net.

Dump Potential Rank

7

Alyeska Resort is ranked No. 7 in North America for its total snowfall during an average season.

Snow
Quality
Rank

10

Accounts for resorts' snow quantity, moisture content, latitude, elevation, and slope aspects.

Total Snow Score

This score accounts for total snow quantity, its moisture content, the resort's latitude, elevation, and its slope aspects, which affect total snow preservation.

Comparables

Alyeska Resort

Trail Breakdown

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Vertical Drop

2500 ft

2750 ft
Base Elevation: 250 ft

Slope Aspects

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The Skiing at Alyeska

It snows here. Often. Often enough that an average year features 50 feet of snow.

For those who haven’t seen 50 feet of snow, book a flight to Anchorage. The slopes here feature a panoply of different terrain, and the lifts are world class and include a tram and a small collection of high-speed detachables.

The snow here isn’t of the same delectable moisture content as that of the copious drifts of Utah, but Alyeska receives the driest snow of any area near the Pacific Coast. The base of the resort is basically at sea level, and the Cook Inlet dominates the horizon to the south and west as skiers ascend the mountain. The low altitude-big snow combination is unique to Alaska. The low altitude makes for an anomalously restful first night of a ski trip, not to mention making hikes and strenuous bump runs 30% easier or so than they might be in Colorado or Utah.

Alyeska’s skiing can’t be fully discussed without mentioning the heli and cat skiing options that are available, literally out the backdoor of the resort. The Chugach Powder Guides take people right from its permanent desk in the Hotel Alyeska.

The Town: Alyeska

Weird. Alaska’s weirdness quotient is higher than that of any other state and Alyeska can’t escape this inherent trait. There are a few bars and restaurants, but don’t seek anything else. You’ll only find ice floes, whales and trees. And that’s just fine.

Where to Stay

Hotel Alyeska. It has no rivals on this mountain.

A few words on the Snow at Alyeska Resort

At Alyeska 22.5% of winter days see 6 inches or more of snow, 49% of winter months see 90 inches or more, and only 9% of months see less than 30 inches. This is elite, blue-chip style snow frequency, rivalled only by a handful of areas in North America. The far north location contributes to average snow density of 9-10%, somewhat more than in Utah/Wyoming but considerably less than in Washington, Oregon and California. However with base elevation only 250 feet Alyeska is not immune to rain, and the steep North Face is likely to be closed for icy conditions after a rain until the next big dump. Alyeska is rarely crowded and thus with its huge snowfall is the one of the premier areas for powder skiing in North America

Accumulation and Preservation

Alyeska’s main basin is usually well covered in early season, but the rugged and steep North Face can take more time. Destination visitors rarely come to Alyeska before February due to the limited daylight hours. In the absence of rain, snow preservation can be excellent, with sun strength at high latitude in late March being comparable to mid-February in the Rockies. March and April are also the optimal months for Chugach Powder Guides helisking at Alyeska, as well as numerous other heliski operations elsewhere in Alaska.