Why Was This Ski Winter So Weird? Snow, Storms & Avalanche Risk Explained
From Where to Ski Podcast with John Morgan by John Morgan
April 7, 2026 · 48 min · Season 4 · Episode 13
About this episode
This episode explores the unusual ski winter, analyzing weather patterns and avalanche risks with expert guests.
Why did Colorado and Utah struggle for snow while the Northeast and the Alps saw massive storm cycles ? In this episode of Where to Ski , we break down one of the strangest ski winters in recent memory with two mountain weather experts: OpenSnow meteorologist Alan Smith WePowder forecaster Coen Verrijn Stuart We dive into the weather patterns that shaped the season, including persistent high-pressure ridges over the western U.S., huge snowfall events in the Alps, and why avalanche danger stayed elevated for weeks. We cover: Why Colorado and Utah saw a snow drought How the Northeast ended up with one of its best winters in years What drove huge storm cycles in Europe Why avalanche conditions were so dangerous What skiers should watch heading into next season If you spent this winter chasing snow — or wondering where it went — this episode explains it all. 🎧 Listen now for the weather story behind one of the most unusual ski seasons in years.
People in this episode
Host: John Morgan
Guests: Alan Smith, Coen Verrijn Stuart
Topics covered
- skiing
- weather patterns
- avalanche risk
- snow conditions
- storm cycles
- season analysis
Keywords
- ski winter
- snow drought
- storm cycles
- avalanche danger
- weather experts
- Colorado
- Utah
- Northeast
- Alps
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Colorado, Utah, Northeast, Alps, western U.S., Europe
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