Mountain Report — March 16, 2026

BEARING MOUNTAIN REPORT Week of March 16, 2026 INTELLIGENCE OVERVIEW The dominant story this week is a Pacific storm track firing hard into British Columbia and the Washington Cascades, with Whistler and the PNW corridor absorbing the bulk of the moisture. The interior ranges — Revelstoke, the Alberta Rockies — are seeing lighter, colder accumulation, which is consistent with their position in the rain shadow but still meaningful at current temperatures. The Cascades present a split picture: Stevens Pass recorded a staggering 76 inches over the past seven days, while Crystal and Snoqualmie are carrying rain-day penalties that complicate the snowpack quality story despite impressive raw totals. Look west and north this week; the Rockies and eastern resorts are quiet by comparison and should be treated accordingly. THIS WEEK'S STANDOUTS Whistler Blackcomb — S-Tier — Whistler, BC (Ikon Pass) This is the move this week, and the numbers explain why without elaboration. Forty-one inches of base, 20 inches of new snow over the past seven days, and a 10-day forecast calling for another 39.8 inches — that is a major accumulation event arriving into already-loaded terrain. Temperatures are holding cleanly cold, with highs at 32°F and lows at 24°F, zero rain days, and zero high-wind disruptions: the full house. Whistler at this snowpack level rewards expert and advanced skiers who can work the alpine zones and the vast off-piste acreage above the Blackcomb Glacier; the volume and variety here simply cannot be replicated at smaller destinations. Ikon Pass holders get 5 days with no blackout restrictions in this window — if you have the pass, you have no defensible reason to be anywhere else. Stevens Pass — S-Tier — Skykomish, WA (Ikon Pass) Seventy-six inches of new snow in seven days is not a number that appears often in this report, and it deserves a moment of weight: Stevens Pass just received one of the more significant single-week accumulations in the Pacific Northwest this season. The base at 34.6 inches is modest relative to that delivery — some of that snowfall is consolidating into a base that was lean coming in — but the immediate ski surface will be exceptional, particularly in the trees and on the steeper north-facing shots off the summit. The forecast adds only 8 inches over the next week, so the window for hero snow is now, before traffic and warming cycles compress the new layer. Ikon Pass access applies; independent tickets run approximately $89–109 per day depending on booking lead time. Sunshine Village — A-Tier — Banff, AB (Ikon Pass) Sunshine is running at the top of its range for mid-March. A 105.6-inch base is legitimately exceptional — among the deepest in North America right now — and the 16.6 inches of recent snow fell into cold, dry conditions with highs at 26°F and lows at 17°F: this is Alberta cold, which means the snowpack is preserved and the light dry texture that defines this mountain at its best. The incoming forecast adds another 10–14 inches over the next 10 days, keeping the mountain in active cycle. Sunshine's optimal window extends through April, and the current combination of settled cold temperatures and a loaded base means March visitors will find the mountain skiing at full strength. Ikon Pass covers 5 days here; this is one of the most underbooked elite ski destinations in North America relative to what it delivers. ON THE RADAR Crystal Mountain — S-Tier designation warrants scrutiny. Thirty-two inches of new snow in seven days is a real number, but five rain days in that same window compromise the snowpack integrity meaningfully. Crystal's colder upper mountain will hold better than the base, and the 49-inch base provides some buffer, but expect a variable surface until a cold consolidation period clears. Worth watching on the 14-day forecast, which adds 13.5 inches — if those come in cold, Crystal returns to form quickly. Ikon Pass access. The Summit at Snoqualmie — The 84-inch base is the headline, but seven consecutive rain days in the past week tells the real story. Snoqualmie sits low and warm relative to its Cascade neighbors, and the rain event will have touched most of its vertical. The incoming 14-day forecast of 20.5 inches could rehabilitate conditions by late in the window, but this is not a trip to book today. Ikon Pass access. Revelstoke Mountain Resort — A-Tier — Eleven inches of new snow over seven days is moderate, but Revelstoke's cold temperatures — highs at 29°F, lows at 20°F — and clean conditions with no rain or wind penalties mean what's there is high-quality. The base at 43.3 inches is adequate across the mountain's extraordinary vertical. Serious skiers who know Revelstoke understand that even a quiet snow week here offers terrain most resorts cannot match. Ikon Pass; independent tickets run approximately CAD $239 per day. Lake Louise Ski Resort — A-Tier — The weakest snowpack among the Alberta trio at 32.7 inches, with modest recent snow, but an 11-inch forecast for the coming week and clean, cold conditions keep it viable. Lake Louise's terrain and the Banff destination context make this a reasonable add-on to a Sunshine Village trip rather than a standalone booking. Ikon Pass access. Tremblant — A-Tier — A thin 21.3-inch base and only 4.5 inches of recent snow are honest weaknesses, but 13.8 inches forecast over the next seven days at sustained cold temperatures — highs of 29°F, remarkable lows of 7°F — suggests the mountain may strengthen mid-week. Eastern skiers in the region have better timing arriving next weekend than this one. Ikon Pass access. Cypress Mountain — The 0.4-inch reported base is a number that warrants a direct statement: Cypress is skiing on marginal snowpack, and 16.7 inches of recent snow over a near-bare base does not constitute a reliable product. The incoming forecast adds less than 10 inches at coastal temperatures. Cypress serves Metro Vancouver on a good day; it does not justify travel. Ikon Pass access. Boyne Highlands — A-Tier designation is generous at current conditions. Three rain days and two high-wind days in the past seven, against a 20.5-inch base in the Midwest, limits what this mountain can deliver. The forecast adds another 9–10 inches and temperatures are cold, so conditions may settle — but Boyne serves regional skiers who have no better option this week, not destination travelers who do.