Colorado snow forecast

Skiing in Colorado

Colorado skiing is high: most of the base areas covered here sit above 2,400 m and several summits come close to 4,000 m, which helps keep the snow cold through the winter. The usual season runs from around late November to mid-April, with a few high resorts opening earlier and closing later.

This page compares four areas. Summit County, the closest to Denver, covers Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, along with Vail and Winter Park. Breckenridge has the highest chairlift in North America, Copper separates its terrain neatly by ability, Keystone offers night skiing, and Arapahoe Basin is steep, high and often open from mid-October into June. Vail is one of the largest single ski mountains in the country, with its Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin.

Aspen Snowmass has four mountains on one pass: Aspen Mountain above town, Aspen Highlands with its Highland Bowl, Buttermilk for beginners and intermediates, and Snowmass, the largest.

The Yampa Valley covers Steamboat, in the north west of the state, which averages around 400 inches a year from a lower base than most Colorado resorts.

Southern Colorado covers Crested Butte, Telluride and Wolf Creek, which are further from Denver and quieter. Wolf Creek averages more snow than any other resort in the state, around 430 inches a year.