Widespread Winter Storm Brings First Snowfall to Colorado's Ski Resorts

Somewhere, someone must have been doing their snow dances. Across Colorado, ski resorts like Keystone and Crested Butte just reported their first flakes of the season. 

The snowfall was largely modest but more than enough to get the juices flowing. Colorado, as ski bums know, is home to a high concentration of resorts that aim to open as soon as they can. Depending on the weather, that could mean lift-served skiing before the end of the month.

At Vail Mountain, the iconic Back Bowls sign got a seasonal makeover, as did the upper terminal of the Mountain Top Express.

The overnight snowfall turned the steep slopes of Crested Butte white, making for a nice contrast with the rust colored fall leaves.

Other resorts throughout Colorado, including Beaver Creek, Arapahoe Basin, Steamboat, and Keystone, also got a taste. In the early hours of Monday morning, Steamboat’s snow stake looked positively wintry. 

A rep for Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek said in an email that, with more snowfall in the forecast, teams will begin snowmaking this week. 

In Colorado, the resorts to watch for an early opening are Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Wolf Creek, Winter Park, and Loveland—conditions permitting, of course.

The weather does look somewhat encouraging, though. In the short term, more precipitation is expected in the coming days, with another storm system possible next week. Meteorologist Chris Tomer, who shares morning snow forecasts during the ski season, is, as of now, calling for solid mid-mountain snow totals through October 22. His calculation included this week’s storm and part of next, with some resorts tallying more than a foot.

Over the border, in Utah, the ongoing round of unsettled weather produced solid coverage for Alta and Snowbird and others, particularly at higher elevations. Finally, it seems, we’re starting to get an early, admittedly inconclusive look at what all this El Niño business might mean for the 2026-27 season. In a perfect world, this is only the start.

Related: 2027 Women’s Ski Buying Guide