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Ski Report

Mt. Crescent Ski Area Snow Report

Iowa, United States Carter Lake
New snow
0.0in
Past 24 hours
Base depth
0in
 
Wind
--
 
Temperature
56°F
 
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Next 24 hours
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Right now · nearest snotel
0 in snowpack
As of 2026-05-22
SWE
0.0in
Air temp
56°F
Past 24h
0in
Past 72h
0in
Next 24h
--in
Next 5d
--in
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Mt. Crescent Ski Area -- Iowa ski resort
Mt. Crescent Ski Area Iowa · Carter Lake
About this resort

Mt. Crescent Ski Area

Mt. Crescent Ski Area in Iowa offers a variety of trails for skiers of all levels, with the best trails being the Black Diamond and the Upper and Lower Sunset. An interesting fact is that the resort was first opened in the 1960s but had to close down due to financial difficulties. It was later reopened in 2012 by a new owner. For beginners, it's best to start on the Green Circle trail, which offers a gentle slope and easy turns. As for the best après-ski bar, the resort's bar is a great place to unwind and enjoy a drink after a long day on the slopes.

Terrain mix: The pertinent mountain range and mountain aspect of Mt. Crescent Ski Area in Iowa is the Loess Hills. The Loess Hills are a unique geological formation made up of windblown silt deposits that create a series of steep, rolling hills. The ski slopes at Mt. Crescent are situated on one of these hills, providing skiers and snowboarders with challenging terrain and beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.

StateIowa
LocationCarter Lake
Detailed forecast

Plan your day down to the hour

Same weather feed Snoflo's iOS app uses -- updated continuously from NOAA / yr.no. Watch the snow column the morning of a storm to know when to call in sick.

Hourly detail

Next 5 days, hour by hour

Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.

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Deep dive

5-day forecast table

Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.

TimeConditionTemp (°F)Snow (in)Rain (in)Humidity (%)Wind (mps)Wind dir
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Long-term outlook

15-day temperature & snow

Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks -- start of next storm cycle, end of last one.

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Forecast discussion

What forecasters are seeing

Plain-English forecast narrative from the local NWS office. Issued by NWS OAX.

547 FXUS63 KOAX 240527 AFDOAX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 1227 AM CDT Thu Sep 24 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Showers and thunderstorms will return tonight through Saturday, with rain chances highest during the overnight and morning hours (75-90%). Rainfall totals are expected to reach 1 to 2 inches. - Cool weather continues through Saturday, followed by a brief warmer, dry stretch Sunday into Monday. - Shower and storm chances return early next week. Heavy rain on already saturated soil could lead to a flooding threat. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1132 PM CDT Wed Sep 23 2026 Tonight through Saturday... We had our one nice, pleasant day with afternoon sunshine boosting temperatures into the mid 70s across the region under a weak ridge of high pressure. However, gloomy weather is set to to return the the mid Missouri Valley tonight and likely persist through Saturday. The first in a series of shortwaves is currently approaching from west, and will reignite showers across the region tonight. While a few rumbles of thunder can`t be ruled out, overall instability will remain weak at best through Saturday. Substantial Gulf moisture will remain over the Central CONUS, with PWATs rising to 1.5"-2". LREF probs estimate a 50-70% chance of seeing more than 1.5" through Saturday and a 30-45% chance of seeing greater than 2" of rain. Precipitation chances wind down Saturday afternoon and evening, ending from west to east. Temperatures Saturday afternoon will be dependent on how quickly cloud cover clears out of the region. If afternoon sun manages to peak through, highs will likely reach into the mid 70s. However if cloud cover prevails, look to temperatures to remain similar to Thursday and Friday, in the 60s to lower 70s. Sunday and Beyond... Another brief ridge will build into the region Sunday, giving us another glimpse of sunshine and dry weather. Afternoon highs will likely reach the 70s. Midlevel thermal ridging ahead of the next trough and surface cold front will allow temperatures to remain in the 70s on Monday, before showers and storms return to the region. Longer range models continue to hint at the potential for strong moisture advection into the region with this next system Monday through Wednesday, potentially supplemented by moisture from Hurricane Polo off the western coast of Mexico. Given the well-saturated soil conditions and potential for another round of heavy, abundant rainfall, areas of flooding may very well be a possibility. In addition to potentially heavy rain, a more unstable and sheared air mass could lead to the formation of strong to severe storms, as is highlighted by a 5-10% probability in machine learning guidance. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1223 AM CDT Thu Sep 24 2026 VFR conditions across the board are in place this evening with an area of showers building into the area from the west and southwesterly winds continuing at around 10 kts. Over the course of the overnight hours, rain will further overspread KOFK, reducing to MVFR conditions by 12z and IFR conditions by the afternoon. KLNK and KOMA will see very minor and spotty rain before then, with the actual rainfall arriving there closer to 14-16z tomorrow morning with MVFR conditions developing at those terminals. Winds will stay steady through the period direction- wise, out of the southeast at 10 kts or less aside from the KOFK area that could see some gusts near 20 kts tomorrow morning. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. IA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...KG AVIATION...Petersen

Mountain & avalanche safety

Know before you go
Check today's avalanche bulletin from the regional avalanche center before any off-piste / side-country / backcountry travel. Conditions can shift dramatically between morning and afternoon on storm days.
Carry the gear, know how to use it
Beacon, shovel, probe. Practice companion rescue on a calm day, not during a real burial.
Mind the weather window
Heavy snow + wind builds wind slabs at ridgelines. The day after a storm is often the riskiest in the backcountry, even if the resort itself is open.
Respect closed terrain
Ropes are there for a reason. Even in-bounds, ducking a closure can trigger a slide that catches you and others below.

Track Mt. Crescent Ski Area in the Snoflo app

Save this resort as a favorite, set push alerts when snowfall crosses a threshold (e.g. "alert me when Mt. Crescent Ski Area reports 6″ new"), and Snoflo's iOS app will push the moment the SNOTEL station crosses.

FAQ

About Mt. Crescent Ski Area

Where does the snow data for Mt. Crescent Ski Area come from?

Snowpack, SWE, 24-hour snowfall, and air temperature come from the nearest USDA NRCS SNOTEL station. Forecast comes from the National Weather Service / yr.no feed that Snoflo's iOS app uses.

How often is the snow report updated?

Snowpack and SNOTEL data are updated continuously by NRCS (typically hourly). The 15-day weather forecast is refreshed throughout the day. Snoflo caches and renders the most recent observation -- look for the "as of" timestamp on the snowpack hero.

What's the elevation at Mt. Crescent Ski Area?

See the Resort Metrics panel above for base / summit / vertical drop. The summit elevation drives snowpack accumulation -- higher summits hold snow longer through spring.

How is "% of normal" calculated?

Today's snowpack is compared to the average snowpack on this calendar day across every recorded year at the nearest SNOTEL. 100% means right on average; 130% is a big year; 60% is thin.

What ski resorts are near Mt. Crescent Ski Area?

See the Other Ski Areas pill grid at the bottom of the page for resorts within driving distance. The sister Other Ski Areas card in the Plan-a-longer-trip grid above shows the closest few.

Can I get alerts when fresh snow hits?

Yes -- snow alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this resort, set a snowfall threshold (e.g. "alert me when 6+ inches"), and you'll get a push the moment the SNOTEL crosses.

More ski areas

Other resorts near here

Snoflo-tracked ski areas within driving distance of Mt. Crescent Ski Area.