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Whitefish and El Niño

Less snow

El Niño winters bring Whitefish about 13% less snow than a typical winter.

Based on 14 El Niño winters since 1986: 1 of them beat Whitefish's median snowfall. That's a clear, consistent pattern, not just noise. Ranks #143 of 152 Western resorts for El Niño snowfall.

El Niño winters (14) −13% snowfall vs. a typical winter 0.8°C (1.5°F) warmer
Strong El Niño (4) −17% snowfall vs. a typical winter
La Niña winters (14) +7% snowfall vs. a typical winter 0.5°C (1.0°F) colder 3 days fewer of natural ski season

Every winter since 1986

Snowfall each winter compared with Whitefish's 40-winter average, colored by what the Pacific was doing.

El Niño La Niña Neutral

Mid-mountain, November–April. Any single winter can buck the pattern; that's why we look at averages.

Right now NOAA's latest Oceanic Niño Index reading (Jun–Aug 2026) is +1.8°C: strong El Niño conditions. NOAA's outlook says how long it's expected to last.
El Niño speaks Hear what's in store from El Niño himself.

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