Located in Windham County, Vermont, Mount Snow is a mountain peak at about 1,092 m (3,583 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Dover, about 9.9 km (6.2 mi) away (Mount Snow lies W of town).
Mount Snow (previously known as Mount Pisgah) is a mountain and ski resort in southern Vermont located in the Green Mountains. It is Vermont's southernmost big mountain, and therefore, closest to many Northeast metropolitan areas. In September 2019, Mount Snow joined Vail Resorts' portfolio of 37 resorts and its Epic Pass, along with all other 16 resorts owned by Peak Resorts Mount Snow is home to Carinthia Parks, which debuted in the 2008–2009 season. Carinthia is home to ten terrain parks, with both natural and man-made features and a superpipe. Mount Snow was co-host of the first Extreme Games in 1995 and host of the X Games in 2000 and 2001. Carinthia at Mount Snow claimed home to the second stop of the first annual winter Dew Tour as well as many other events including the Freeski Open and Carinthia Classic.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Snow”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Snow the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 56° ENE | 8:35 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 122° ESE | 4:21 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 02m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Mount Snow, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:19 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.26 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 63 | 67 | 74 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -22 | -19 | -13 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this mountain peak
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Snow, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
State ParkWilderness Area
Covered Bridge
State Park
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Grout Pond Campground9.9 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Townshend Lake Recreation Area21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Winhall Brook Camping Area24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Snow?
What time is golden hour at Mount Snow?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Snow?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Snow?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Snow?
How far is Mount Snow from Dover?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.