Photo above: LJ_C0_3 via Google
Vail's official snow report lives on Vail Mountain's Snow & Weather Report page and in the My Epic app. The mountain updates it every morning before the lifts start, with new snow, the base depth at Mid-Vail, open lifts and trails, and grooming. For live pictures, Vail Mountain runs four summit and bowl cams, and the Town of Vail streams its village, creek and I-70 cameras free at vail.gov.
The two sources answer different questions. The snow report tells you what fell and what is open; the cams show the light, the wind and the crowds right now. Reading them together, then checking the roads, is the quickest way to decide how to spend a Vail ski day.
Where is the official Vail snow report?
The Vail snow report is published by Vail Mountain on vail.com under The Mountain, then Mountain Conditions, then Snow & Weather Report. The same data appears in the My Epic app, which adds lift-line status and real-time operational alerts. On-mountain reporting teams refresh it daily before the lifts begin spinning, so the morning version is the one to plan around.
Third-party snow sites repeat those numbers, sometimes hours later. When a figure matters, such as whether a bowl has opened or how much fell overnight, go back to the resort's own report. The Lift & Terrain Status page shows, lift by lift and run by run, what is running.
What do the numbers on the Vail snow report mean?
Each figure on the Vail snow report answers a planning question: new snow tells you whether to chase powder, base depth tells you how much of the mountain is skiable, and the lift and trail counts tell you how much terrain is actually open. The forecast is split into four spots, Vail Base, Vail Summit, Lionshead Base and Lionshead Summit, because conditions differ by elevation.
| Figure | What it measures | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Overnight and 24-hour snow | Fresh snow since the last report | Several inches overnight is the cue to head for the Back Bowls early |
| Base depth | Settled snow depth at Mid-Vail | Vail treats more than 30 inches at Mid-Vail as solid coverage for much of the mountain |
| Season total | Snow that has fallen since the season began | Compare it with Vail's long-run average of 354 inches |
| Lifts and trails open | How many of the more than 195 trails are running | Early and late in the season, this matters more than new snow |
| Grooming | Runs groomed overnight | Pick front-side cruisers for mid-morning on clear days |
| Forecast by location | Base and summit weather for Vail and Lionshead | Summit wind and temperature decide how many layers to wear |
The 354-inch average is a mountain figure. The town weather station in the valley records far less, about 189 inches a year under NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals, which is why a rainy afternoon in Vail Village can mean snow up high. When it snows in Vail, month by month explains the difference.
Where are the official Vail webcams?
Vail's official webcams come from three public sources. Vail Mountain's Mountain Cams page shows Sun Up Bowl Overlook, the Back Bowls, the Gore Range and Eagle's Nest, refreshed every five minutes. The Town of Vail streams its village and creek cameras, and CDOT's I-70 snapshots are gathered on the town's site.
| Camera set | Views | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Vail Mountain cams | Sun Up Bowl Overlook, the Back Bowls, the Gore Range, Eagle's Nest | Visibility, wind and fresh snow up high |
| Town of Vail live webcams | Covered Bridge, Vail Village, Lionshead, Gore Creek Promenade, Vail International Bridge, Vail Golf Course, an underwater Gore Creek fish camera and Eagle County Regional Airport | Village crowds, street snow and events |
| CDOT I-70 cameras | East Vail, Main Vail, West Vail, Dowd Junction and Eagle-Vail | Road conditions on arrival and departure days |
The Gore Range cam is the one to open on a bluebird morning; the Back Bowls and Sun Up Bowl views show whether wind has scoured the fresh snow. The village cams earn their keep in the evening, before a walk to dinner in Lionshead Village or across the Covered Bridge.
How do you use the snow report and cams to plan a ski day?
On a powder morning at Vail, check the overnight total, then the lift status: the Back Bowls open only when ski patrol clears them, and Vail's own advice is to reach Sun Up and Sun Down via Gondola One and Chair 4. On clear days after little snow, read the grooming report and ski the front-side groomers off Gondola One and Avanti Express mid-morning.
Some Back Bowl runs are often groomed, among them Poppyfields East, Poppyfields West and Gillett's Dream in China Bowl, and The Slot in Sun Up Bowl, but the grooming changes nightly. How to get to Vail's Back Bowls and the route to Blue Sky Basin cover the lifts, and Vail lift lines explains when the gondolas back up after a storm.
How do you check I-70 before driving to Vail?
Before driving to Vail in winter, check the CDOT I-70 cameras and COtrip.org, CDOT's road-conditions site. CDOT can put the Passenger Vehicle Traction Law into effect on any state highway when weather warrants, and the chain law is its final step before a closure. Highway signs and COtrip announce both.
Under the Traction Law, a vehicle needs four-wheel or all-wheel drive with mud-and-snow, winter or all-weather tires and at least 3/16-inch tread, or chains or an approved traction device. Non-compliance carries a $100 fine plus a $33 surcharge, rising to $500 plus $157 if it leads to a lane closure. The full route from Denver or the airport is in how to get to Vail.
When does Vail get snow, and when does the season open?
Vail Mountain's ski season typically runs from late November to early April, with the most consistent snow between early January and mid-March. For 2026/27, Vail Resorts has announced a planned opening day of Friday, November 13, 2026, subject to weather and conditions. The closing date is set later in the season.
Snow can arrive well before opening day; the first flakes and the role of snowmaking are covered in how early Vail gets snow, and past opening and closing dates are in when Vail opens and closes. The bowls keep their own timetable, set out in when the Back Bowls open.
What should you pack once you have read the forecast?
Pack for the summit forecast, not the base. The four forecast points on Vail's report often differ by several degrees and by wind, and a calm valley morning can hide a cold ridge. Packing for Vail in every season covers layers, and Vail ski rental shops can swap skis for wider powder boards once the report shows a storm.
