Badger Pass Snow Report & Conditions

Official snow report sources

• Badger Pass snow phone: (209) 372-8430 — daily updated recorded message with snow conditions, lift status, and operations
• Yosemite Hospitality website: travelyosemite.com/winter/badger-pass-ski-area — current resort status
• Yosemite road conditions: (209) 372-0200 — Yosemite road status, including Glacier Point Road access from Hwy 41
• National Weather Service Yosemite forecast: 7-day NWS forecast — the most trustworthy forecast for the Badger Pass area

Reading the report

Badger Pass conditions can change fast. A few interpretive notes from years of watching:

• Base depth matters more than 24-hour totals. A 6-inch fresh fall on a thin base is still risky. 30+ inches of base usually means everything is open.
• "Open" versus "all lifts running." The resort opens when the lower lifts can run safely. Upper lifts (Eagle) may not run until base depth supports them — typically meaning a thinner-snow week opens only Turtle and Bruin.
• Recent storm + cold = good. Recent storm + warm = sloppy. Watch the freezing levels.
• Spring conditions can be excellent. March-April mornings often deliver firm-to-corn skiing that's underrated. Don't write off the late season.

When Badger Pass doesn't open at all

In drought winters, the resort may not open for the season — most recently 2024-25, before that 2020-21. There's no snowmaking, so when the snowpack doesn't arrive, neither does the season. Check the official site before any planned visit; the season opens mid-December in normal years but can be delayed into January.

Glacier Point Road status

The road into Badger Pass (Glacier Point Road, branching off Highway 41 / Wawona Road) is the only access. In big snow it may close briefly for plowing. The road status determines whether the resort is reachable, regardless of the resort's own status. Check (209) 372-0200 before driving.

A note on chains

California chain controls (R1, R2, R3) frequently apply on the route to Badger Pass during winter weather. Even with 4WD/AWD, you may legally need chains in the vehicle. See our chain guide for what to bring and how to use them.