{"id":41603,"date":"2026-01-27T19:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T03:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=41603"},"modified":"2026-02-08T07:17:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T15:17:14","slug":"colorado-ski-resorts-got-some-welcome-snowfall-from-winter-storm-fern-but-not-enough-to-turn-a-dry-and-warm-winter-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/colorado-ski-resorts-got-some-welcome-snowfall-from-winter-storm-fern-but-not-enough-to-turn-a-dry-and-warm-winter-around\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado ski resorts got some welcome snowfall from Winter Storm Fern, but not enough to turn a dry and warm winter around"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Steven R. Fassnacht<\/a>, Colorado State University<\/a><\/em> and Michael Childers<\/a>, Colorado State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter Storm Fern<\/a> brought Colorado\u2019s mountain towns a bit of what they\u2019ve spent weeks hoping for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It snowed 23 inches (58 centimeters) at the Crested Butte ski resort<\/a> over the weekend of Jan. 24-25, 2026. Aspen Snowmass got 13 inches (33 cm).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a welcome change in Colorado, where the ski season is off to a slow start. By Thanksgiving 2025, Colorado had only about 45% of the average snowpack<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By January 2026, the snowpack had increased only slightly to 57% of average<\/a>. About half of the runs were open at central Colorado resorts<\/a> in late January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Colorado\u2019s ski season started out dry, with less than half the average snowpack in November. Hyoung Chang\/Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On top of a dry fall<\/a>, Colorado has been unseasonably warm<\/a>. Denver\u2019s average air temperature for December 2025 was 11 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) warmer than normal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This phenomenon is not entirely new. Over the past four decades, Colorado has seen a decline in November snowfall<\/a>, which is a problem for developing the snowpack base for ski runs. There has also been a decline in March snowpack<\/a>, which can reduce skier numbers during spring break, when many families and college-age skiers typically flock to the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of the welcome snowfall, the forecast for the rest of the season, which runs through April, doesn\u2019t look good<\/a>. It\u2019s expected to continue to be warmer than average<\/a> across the Colorado mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s mountain communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are a snow hydrologist<\/a> and a historian of the ski industry<\/a>. We\u2019re concerned about how this year\u2019s continuing low snowfall will affect Colorado\u2019s US$5 billion ski industry<\/a>, the state\u2019s environment and water resources across the western U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating snow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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 be the first ski area to open<\/a>. This year, Keystone opened first<\/a> after beginning to make snow before Halloween.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ski resorts use snow guns<\/a> that use high-pressure air to blow fine water particles that freeze and form snow. But to make snow, the wet-bulb temperature<\/a> needs to be colder than 28 F<\/a> (minus 2 C). The wet bulb temperature<\/a> is a combination of air temperature, humidity and air pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Snowmaking in Colorado can help ski resorts to start the season, but they still need snow to fall from the sky. Boulder Daily Camera\/via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Snowmaking covers only a fraction<\/a> of any ski resort<\/a> in Colorado. Even the most extensive snowmaking resorts like Keystone are only able to cover 40% of their runs<\/a> with humanmade snow. Other resorts can cover less than 10%<\/a>. Snowmaking in Colorado provides the base for the ski season to start, but it can\u2019t replace a season with no snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By comparison, ski areas in other states, such as Arizona\u2019s Snowbowl<\/a>, rely on snowmaking throughout the winter<\/a>. Snowmaking can cover most of a ski resort in the eastern U.S.<\/a>, where resorts tend to be smaller than ones in the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snowmaking has environmental costs<\/a>. On average, snowmaking accounts for 67% of a ski resort\u2019s electricity costs<\/a> and consumes billions of gallons of water<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snow is made using water taken from streams during low-flow condition<\/a>, or times when less water is available. The water is essentially stored on the ski slope, with about 80% flowing back into the streams<\/a> when it melts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 extensive and often expensive legal process<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of how much snow can be made<\/a>, Colorado\u2019s ski areas mostly rely on natural snowfall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of snowmaking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This year is far from the first time Colorado\u2019s ski industry has struggled with a lack of snow. Many areas in the state did not see snow during the winter of 1976-77 until after the December holidays<\/a>. The lack of snowfall caused skier numbers to drop a staggering 38% from the previous season<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 $1.2 million investment in snowmaking<\/a>, which saved the following season. Other larger ski resorts followed suit and invested heavily in the technology<\/a> over the following five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A November 1981 archival photo from The Denver Post shows the Loveland ski resort west of Denver after it opened using mechanically made snow. Denver Post\/via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Over the past decade, Vail Resorts, owner of 42 ski resorts worldwide<\/a>, has invested more than $100 million in snowmaking to compensate for marginal snow years<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These investments reflect a broader rivalry within the industry<\/a> as resorts compete for a limited number of skiers. By the end of the 1990s, snowmaking was understood as essential<\/a> for ski resorts across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Low snow years are not just a problem for skiing. Colorado has a semi-arid climate<\/a>, so water stored in the snowpack is a crucial water resource<\/a>. In Colorado, up to 80% of the water comes from snow<\/a>, so below-average snowfall usually means there will be a drought<\/a> during the summer months that follow. Dry winters also lead to more wildfires<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snowpack also affects summer tourism activities in Colorado that rely on water from snowmelt, such as whitewater rafting<\/a>, whitewater parks<\/a>, fishing and related river activities<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Snowpack has a direct impact on Colorado\u2019s summer tourism, including fishing. UCG\/Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Coloradans may hope for snow to change the course of this winter. It\u2019s happened before, like with the March 2003 Colorado blizzard<\/a>, when 3 feet (1 meter) of snow fell in a day. Or in the winter of 2010-11, which started out drier than average<\/a> and went on to be the wettest year on record<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 to buy their Epic<\/a> and Ikon season passes by October<\/a> or spend upward of $300<\/a> for a day lift ticket. But the high costs of skiing are making the sport more exclusive<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numerous ski resorts, such as Winter Park<\/a>, 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\u2019s mountain towns are hoping for another big dump of natural snow \u2013 and as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steven R. Fassnacht<\/a>, Professor of Snow Hydrology, Colorado State University<\/a><\/em> and Michael Childers<\/a>, Associate Professor of History, Colorado State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steven R. Fassnacht, Colorado State University and Michael Childers, Colorado State University Winter Storm Fern brought Colorado\u2019s mountain towns a bit of what they\u2019ve spent weeks hoping for. It snowed 23 inches (58 centimeters) at the Crested Butte ski resort over the weekend of Jan. 24-25, 2026. Aspen Snowmass got 13 inches (33 cm). It […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":41605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,276,1862,10,118,3410,15533,9],"tags":[158,139,1907,885,891,886,860,14506,17401,10183,4193,17399,12945,17400,423,17346],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41603"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41603"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41688,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41603\/revisions\/41688"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}