Colorado's ski season is delayed by warm weather that's limiting snowmaking - Axios

Snowmaking at Keystone on Oct. 9. Photo courtesy Katie Young at Keystone Resort

The traditional mid-October start to the Colorado ski season is not looking likely this year.

What's happening: Warmer than normal temperatures in the mountains have limited snowmaking to just a few hours overnight, and Colorado has yet to see any significant natural snow stick for long.

• Even the resorts — Arapahoe Basin, Loveland and Keystone — that race to open first are struggling to put a white carpet down on a single ski run.
• Six more resorts that plan to spin lifts in mid-November, including Winter Park, Breckenridge and Vail, may have limited terrain available for opening day.

Flashback: This time a year ago, two ski areas (Arapahoe Basin and Wolf Creek) were open.

What to watch: The weather pattern turns Sunday when "a significant snowstorm" arrives, OpenSnow meteorologist Joel Gratz reports. Through Monday, snow totals will get as high as 20 inches in central and southern Colorado, while mountains closer to the Front Range are forecast to get 5 inches or so.

What they're saying: A-Basin chief operating officer Alan Henceroth is optimistic. He skied a run Tuesday and posted on Instagram that the "snow is very good."

• "We have made serious progress and are further along than I had expected. … No opening date has been set, but opening is clearly in sight," he wrote.

Of note: Denver typically gets its first snow by now, but chances are low this weekend's storm will blanket the city in white. We'll see if we have to wait until December again for the first flakes.

🌱

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

Learn more

More Denver stories

No stories could be found

Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Denver.

🌱

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

Learn more