Mountains / Utah

Brian Head UT

9,60010,919 ft · long-term average 360" per season · window ticket ~$109 · prime window Feb–Mar

PassCast reseeded 2026-07-10 · season 2026-27
79SKIABILITY / 100Exceptional season likely
Snow quantity 35%78
Season lean 30%69
Powder days 20%84
Bust risk 15%96
Median sim
375" (116% of typical)
P(above typical)
64%
Powder days
~21 (6"+ days)

80% of simulated seasons land between 239" and 558". Reseeded daily as ENSO observations, CPC outlooks, and SEAS5 runs update.

10,000 simulated 2026-27 seasonsENSO-weighted resampling of 36 real seasons (1990–2026) at Brian Head, tilted by the live seasonal outlook

200"300"400"500"600"700"800"900"1000"P10 239"P50 375"P90 558"typical 324"

Highlighted bars span the middle half of outcomes (P25–P75). The yellow dashed line is a typical season — the median of the last 36 at this mountain.

What's driving this forecast

ENSO: El Niño favored (99%)

The 2026-27 season is simulated by resampling Brian Head's historical seasons weighted toward El Niño analog years. NOAA CPC El Niño Advisory (June 11, 2026): El Niño conditions are present and expected to strengthen into winter 2026-27, with a 63% chance of a very strong event (Niño3.4 ≥ +2.0°C) during Nov-Jan. CPC DJF strength odds: very strong 46%, strong 33%, moderate 16%. IRI (June 22) concurs at 98% El Niño for DJF.

Pre-season: climate drivers only

Day-to-day weather models have no skill this far out, so the near-term forecast contributes 0% weight today. The simulation leans entirely on ENSO-conditioned climatology — exactly what an honest seasonal outlook should do in summer. Weighting shifts toward live forecasts as opening day approaches.

The regional readUtah · from the 2026-27 outlook

Utah is the ENSO agnostic: sitting between the El Niño-favored south and La Niña-favored north, Alta's long record shows essentially no reliable signal in either phase. Strong El Niños have produced everything here — 1982-83 was epic, 1997-98 solid, 2015-16 mediocre. Call it near-average with fat tails, and note that southern Utah taps the subtropical-jet bonus more reliably than the Cottonwoods.

Full global outlook →

Month by monthENSO-conditioned analog medians vs a typical month — when this season should deliver

Nov127%Dec95%Jan103%Feb109%Mar128%Apr134%
Typical month (median)ENSO-conditioned lean, wetENSO-conditioned lean, dry

Prime window: Feb–Mar — the deepest contiguous stretch of the conditioned season. Aim the trip there.

The analog poolEvery season since 1990 at Brian Head (ERA5, calibrated to the resort's reported average), colored by ENSO phase

225"425"650"875"1990-91: 319" (ONI +0.4)1991-92: 341" (ONI +1.7)1992-93: 493" (ONI +0.1)1993-94: 299" (ONI +0.1)1994-95: 427" (ONI +1.0)1995-96: 215" (ONI -0.9)1996-97: 355" (ONI -0.5)1997-98: 383" (ONI +2.2)1998-99: 282" (ONI -1.6)1999-00: 242" (ONI -1.7)2000-01: 325" (ONI -0.7)2001-02: 165" (ONI -0.1)2002-03: 268" (ONI +0.9)2003-04: 276" (ONI +0.4)2004-05: 443" (ONI +0.6)2005-06: 284" (ONI -0.8)2006-07: 237" (ONI +0.7)2007-08: 322" (ONI -1.6)2008-09: 295" (ONI -0.8)2009-10: 438" (ONI +1.5)2010-11: 461" (ONI -1.3)2011-12: 260" (ONI -0.7)2012-13: 221" (ONI -0.3)2013-14: 184" (ONI -0.3)2014-15: 249" (ONI +0.7)2015-16: 317" (ONI +2.6)2016-17: 557" (ONI -0.2)2017-18: 376" (ONI -0.8)2018-19: 674" (ONI +0.9)2019-20: 498" (ONI +0.6)2020-21: 342" (ONI -0.9)2021-22: 382" (ONI -0.8)2022-23: 808" (ONI -0.5)2023-24: 511" (ONI +1.9)2024-25: 323" (ONI -0.5)2025-26: 390" (ONI -0.4)19901995200020052010201520202025
La Niña winterNeutralEl Niño winterTypical winter (median)

Pass math for Brian Head

Brian Head isn't on a multi-resort pass — but you can still see what a season here is worth.

10days

No multi-resort pass covers these mountains — window tickets are the play.

Sources: ERA5 reanalysis & multi-model forecasts via Open-Meteo · NOAA CPC ONI, ENSO advisory & seasonal outlook · ECMWF SEAS5 · pass prices verified July 2026. See methodology for the honest fine print.