Snow Has Arrived at Silverton Mountain, Colorado and Skiers Are Making Powder Turns
Have you heard the good news? Snow is falling in Colorado, and Silverton Mountain, the Centennial State’s big mountain and backcountry hotbed, is scoring.
The ski area known for its lone chairlift and expansive heli-skiing isn’t planning to open until December 31, 2026, but that hasn’t stopped Mother Nature from dumping snow. And while an official snowfall total hasn’t been reported, it looks like the snow is stacking up by the feet, not inches.
Some of Silverton’s staff scored their first turns of the season from the top of the chairlift today, October 14, 2026. Check out a photo gallery from the storm, courtesy of Silverton Mountain, below. Keep reading for more.
Silverton Mountain
It’s hard to tell just how much snow is on the ground, but a face shot on October 14, 2026, leaves little to complain about. At least for now, anyway.
Snow is expected to continue to fall at Silverton through Thursday, October 15, before a brief lull in the pattern. Then, according to meteorologist Chris Tomer, another 17 inches of snow could fall on Silverton between Tuesday, October 20, and Friday, October 23, 2026.
OpenSnow agrees and forecasts more than 12 inches of snow for Silverton over the same period.
Silverton’s opening date of December 31, 2026, is firm, but the start of the season could be expedited at other ski areas in the region thanks to the early-season storms.
Wolf Creek, known for opening as soon as Mother Nature allows, is expecting to receive some snow from the storm, but probably not enough to open. Arapahoe Basin and Keystone, which regularly compete to be the first ski resorts to open in North America, on the other hand, have advanced snowmaking capabilities and will surely take advantage of the prolonged cold snap.
Does this mean Arapahoe Basin or Keystone could open as early as next weekend? Maybe, but a representative from Keystone confirmed to POWDER that nothing is guaranteed yet.
For the skiers looking to chase the storm and hopefully score a late-October opening day, keep an eye on social media for last-second announcements. Keystone and Arapahoe Basin have both announced spur-of-the-moment openings in the past, and we don’t expect 2026 to be any different.
The ski season is nearly here. Vote which Colorado resort will open first in our poll below.
Related: Stunning Photos Show Alta’s First Major Snowfall of the Season Collide With Fall Foliage
Leave a Reply