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Ski Report

Mt. Crescent Ski Area Snow Report

Iowa, United States Carter Lake
⚠ Heat Advisory · Heat Advisory issued September 4 at 7:51AM CDT until September 5 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Today high
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Tonight low
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Snowpack
0in
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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
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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.

293 FXUS63 KOAX 040534 AFDOAX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 1234 AM CDT Fri Sep 4 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Hot and humid weather continues with heat index values in the low 100s across southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa. A Heat Advisory remains in effect through at least Saturday. - Oppressive heat will continue into next week along with some small chances (10-30%) for nightly showers and storms. Warm lows in the 70s will provide little relief. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1132 PM CDT Thu Sep 3 2026 Tonight and Tomorrow: Water vapor imagery this afternoon features the persistent cutoff low over the Pacific Northwest while broad ridging holds over the eastern two thirds of the CONUS. A few shortwaves continue to spur on convection across northern Minnesota and the Mid-Atlantic, while we continue to see southwesterly flow aloft south of the main surface front draped across the Dakotas towards southern Michigan. Dewpoints have been over-performing over the last two nights, making the late afternoons/early evenings that much more humid, with another warm night in store across the area. Lows across southeast Nebraska into southwest Iowa will struggle to fall below 75 degrees, while the coolest conditions only fall to around 70 degrees. Low-level winds have already ramped up just above the surface, though convergence along the nose of the low- level jet will be pointed well to the northwest, limiting any chances for rain. Heading into Friday, another hot day is in store as the mid/upper ridge holds over the area with no relief in sight. Afternoon dewpoints in the mid 70s will continue hanging around northeast Nebraska into northern Iowa, while slightly lower values remain to the south where the hottest temperatures are anticipated to be. A continued Heat Advisory will carry forward the message of the dangerous heat -- not just due to the peaks of the heat, but also the duration of the heat heading into the weekend. Heat indices are forecast to top out in the 100-106 degree range, with the worst conditions along and south of Interstate 80. Saturday and Beyond: Another warm early morning is expected to be interrupted by convection initiating and being maintained by a nosing low- level jet across eastern South Dakota while additional weaker convection tries to pull itself together across central Nebraska in worse convective ingredients. Once the strength of the LLJ begins waning around sunrise, the weaker convection in central NE should die while the MCS/cluster across South Dakota tries eating into the better instability to its immediate south. As it moves southward (and as time goes on), less and less shear will be available to maintain its strength and the cluster should fade as it pushes into northeast Nebraska and Iowa. Lingering showers and pop-up storms will likely continue along the outflow boundary throughout the afternoon northeast Nebraska and western Iowa, with storm strength expected to be low. Aside from the shower and storm chances, heat is expected to continue as the main ridge across the area transitions from a center over the eastern half of the CONUS to a position over the western half. Temperatures take a slight dip for Saturday due to the storm activity and resultant clouds, with temperatures expected to rebound into next week. Overall rain chances through the latter part of the forecast continue to remain rather low, owing to the smaller-scale forcing for ascent that will occur, some off the nocturnal jet while others drift in from afternoon convection that initiates along a weak mesoscale boundary. Ensemble models continue to lean towards the hot end of the temperature forecast with us remaining planted on the eastern or western edge of a building ridge heading into next weekend. A "cold" front passage could bring in minor relief towards the middle of the upcoming week, but we`ll still be left with above- average temperatures that are still reminiscent of the deep summer while most of the area continues looking forward to fall. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1232 AM CDT Fri Sep 4 2026 Strong southwest winds at FL015 will leave for some LLWS. Expect speeds up to 45 knots at FL015 through about 12Z at all three TAF sites. Otherwise, relatively light and variable winds will persist through the TAF period. Southerly winds will be most common. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...Heat Advisory until 7 PM CDT Saturday for NEZ044-045-050>053- 065>068-078-088>093. IA...Heat Advisory until 7 PM CDT Saturday for IAZ055-056-069-079- 080-090-091. && $$ DISCUSSION...Petersen AVIATION...Nicolaisen

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.