brought Colorado’s mountain towns a bit of what they’ve spent weeks hoping for.
It over the weekend of Jan. 24-25, 2026. Aspen Snowmass got 13 inches (33 cm).
It was a welcome change in Colorado, where the ski season is off to a slow start. By Thanksgiving 2025, Colorado had only it usually does at that time of year. Thanksgiving weekend is when many western ski resorts, such as Steamboat and Vail, typically open for the season.
By January 2026, the snowpack had . About half of the runs were in late January.
On top of a , Colorado has . Denver’s average air temperature for December 2025 was .
This phenomenon is not entirely new. Over the past four decades, Colorado has seen , which is a problem for developing the snowpack base for ski runs. There has also been , which can reduce skier numbers during spring break, when many families and college-age skiers typically flock to the mountains.
In spite of the welcome snowfall, the forecast for the rest of the season, . It’s expected to across the Colorado mountains.
The warm temperatures and lack of snow in Colorado are a problem for skiers and ski resorts. This has translated into a growing economic impact on the state’s mountain communities.
We are a and a . We’re concerned about how this year’s continuing low snowfall will affect Colorado’s , the state’s environment and water resources across the western U.S.
Creating snow
The ski industry relies on natural snow falling from the sky. Natural snowfall can be supplemented by resorts making their own snow, often in a race to . This year, after beginning to make snow before Halloween.
Ski resorts use that use high-pressure air to blow fine water particles that freeze and form snow. But to make snow, the needs to be (minus 2 C). The is a combination of air temperature, humidity and air pressure.
Snowmaking of in Colorado. Even the most extensive snowmaking resorts like Keystone are only able to cover with humanmade snow. Other resorts . Snowmaking in Colorado provides the base for the ski season to start, but it can’t replace a season with no snow.
By comparison, ski areas in other states, such as , rely on . Snowmaking can , where resorts tend to be smaller than ones in the West.
Snowmaking . On average, snowmaking accounts for and .
Snow is made using , or times when less water is available. The water is essentially stored on the ski slope, with about 80% when it melts.
Due to water rights legislation unique to the western U.S., a ski resort cannot easily use more water to make more snow without going through an .
Regardless of , Colorado’s ski areas mostly rely on natural snowfall.
History of snowmaking
This year is far from the first time Colorado’s ski industry has struggled with a lack of snow. Many areas in the state did not see snow during the winter of . The lack of snowfall caused skier numbers to drop a .
That dry season convinced the ski industry to take matters into its own hands. In the summer of 1976, Winter Park Ski Area made a , which saved the following season. Other larger ski resorts followed suit and over the following five years.
Over the past decade, Vail Resorts, , has invested more than $100 million in .
These investments reflect a as resorts compete for a limited number of skiers. By the end of the 1990s, for ski resorts across the country.
What’s next
Low snow years are not just a problem for skiing. Colorado has , so water stored in the . In Colorado, up to , so during the summer months that follow. Dry winters also .
Snowpack also affects summer tourism activities in Colorado that rely on water from snowmelt, such as , , .
Coloradans may hope for snow to change the course of this winter. It’s happened before, like with the , when 3 feet (1 meter) of snow fell in a day. Or in the winter of 2010-11, which and went on to be .
The ski industry has tried to insulate itself from bad snow years through season pass sales and diversifying entertainment options. Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company require skiers and snowboarders and or spend for a day lift ticket. But the high .
Numerous ski resorts, such as , have invested heavily in summer activities such as mountain biking and music festivals to increase revenue. But you can bet your mittens that people in Colorado’s mountain towns are hoping for another big dump of natural snow – and as soon as possible.
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