Can they make snow?

A live wet-bulb check. Can snowmakers run where you are, and when?

How this works
We pull NOAA's hourly forecast for your location and calculate the wet-bulb temperature for each hour. Snowmakers rely on wet-bulb because it accounts for both cold and dry air, the two conditions that let water droplets freeze in flight. Below 28°F−2°C they can run; below 25°F−4°C the snow is good quality.

Enter a city, state or ski resort, or tap 📍 to use your current location.

Snowmaking forecasts for US ski resorts

Pick a resort for its live answer at the base and the summit, the next snowmaking window, new snow and the 7-day outlook.

See all ski resorts by state →

When can ski resorts make snow?

Snow guns spray fine water droplets into the air, and the snow they make depends on those droplets freezing before they land. That depends on the wet-bulb temperature: the temperature air cools to as water evaporates into it, so it combines how cold the air is with how dry it is. Snowmakers can start at a wet-bulb around 28°F−2°C, and the snow is good quality below about 25°F−4°C. Dry air helps a lot: at 32°F0°C with low humidity they can often make snow, while at the same temperature in damp air they can't.

Why the base and summit can differ

Air usually gets colder with height, so the summit can often make snow before the base. On calm, clear nights it can flip: cold air drains into the valleys and the base ends up colder than the top. That's why resorts are checked at both, each with NOAA's forecast for its own elevation.

Where the numbers come from

Forecasts come from the National Weather Service (NOAA) hourly grid forecast, updated through the day. The wet-bulb temperature is calculated for every hour of the next two days, and the 7-day outlook and snowfall totals come from the same forecast. You can also get an email when a resort can make snow or a powder day is coming.

Click a pin or anywhere on the map to check it.