The Old Farmer’s Almanac sold winter 2025-26 as mostly mild, with near- to below-normal snowfall across much of the country and a somewhat wetter Intermountain West. For skiers, that forecast only matters if it matches rain lines, terrain openings, and whether the mountains ever built a real midwinter base. Using skier-relevant outcomes instead of city weather, here is the SnowBrains report card.
California: A-
This was one of the Almanac’s best reads. Its Pacific Southwest outlook called for a warmer, drier winter with below-normal mountain snows. That is almost exactly how the Sierra rode. Tahoe spent early season fighting 9,000-foot rain lines, Christmas was rescued by one major holiday cycle, early January kept Mammoth and the upper-mountain resorts going, and then the pattern reverted to warmth, rain, and long dry stretches. By April 1, California’s water managers found no measurable snow at Phillips Station and statewide snowpack sat at just 18% of average. By late March, Mammoth was around 72% of normal snowfall, Palisades 70%, and Heavenly 51%, with several lower-elevation resorts already closed. A few storm windows outperformed the map. The broader seasonal read was strong.
Pacific Northwest: B
The Pacific Northwest forecast leaned warmer than normal with below-average precipitation and snowfall. That held up, especially in the Cascades south of I-90. Openings were delayed until just before Christmas in Washington and Oregon, repeated warm storms brought rain deep into ski elevations, and Oregon endured what was likely its worst season on record. Washington’s April 1 snowpack came in at just 53% of median, and Drought.gov said Oregon and Washington Cascade stations carried some of the biggest snow deficits in the West. The grade stops at a B because northern Washington still salvaged some real storm cycles. Baker, Stevens, and Whistler found good stretches, especially in March. The Almanac had the regional pattern right, and it came up short on the severity of the rain problem.
Rockies: D+
This is where the forecast unraveled. The Intermountain outlook called for a warmer-than-normal winter, slightly above-normal precipitation, below-normal snowfall in the north, and above-normal snowfall in the south. The warmth verified. The snow forecast did not. We saw record-low statewide snow water equivalent in Colorado and Utah during the winter, with Colorado even posteding its worst snowpack since statewide recordkeeping began in 1941. Skiers felt that everywhere. By late March, Alta and Snowbird were around 54% to 55% of normal, Jackson was near 60%, Big Sky 71%, Breck and Vail 44% to 49%, and Taos just 35%. The warmth and lighter northern snow earned some credit. The snow-drought severity and the southern Rockies call pulled the grade down hard.
Midwest: D
For Great Lakes ski country, this was a poor call. The Upper Midwest forecast pointed to above-normal temperatures with below-normal precipitation and snowfall. Ski hills around the lakes saw something much snowier. NOAA found above-average snowfall across much of the Midwest and Great Lakes by the end of December and again through January and February, especially in lake-effect belts. Mount Bohemia reached 345 inches by late March, beating its 273-inch seasonal average, and a mid-March blizzard dropped 10 to 20-plus inches across parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with isolated totals of 2 to 3 feet. The southern Midwest lined up more closely with the Almanac’s idea. The core lake-effect ski belts did not.
Northeast: F
This was the clearest miss on the map. The Almanac’s Northeast and New England guidance leaned warm and below normal on both precipitation and snowfall. The mountains produced a strong, snowy winter. NOAA tracked Arctic outbreaks and major winter storms in January, then another major late-February blizzard in New England. Bestsnow had Jay Peak at 124% of normal and Stowe at 116% by March 31, with Whiteface at 135% and Cannon at 131%. Powder had Jay at 395 inches by March 28. From northern Vermont to the Adirondacks and into parts of Quebec, this was one of the most consistently fun eastern seasons in years. The temperature and snow call missed the season by a wide margin.
Overall grade: C-
The Old Farmer’s Almanac deserves real credit for seeing the warm western backbone of winter 2025-26, especially in California and much of the Cascades. The Rockies collapse never showed up clearly enough in the forecast, and the snowy Great Lakes and Northeast story was a miss. For skiers, that adds up to two strong western reads, one partial hit, and two eastern misses. That lands at a C- overall.