Outlook remains grim for ski resort snowfall through the end of the year

The outlook for significant snowfall at Colorado ski resorts through the end of the year remains grim, even as most resorts report severely limited terrain offerings.

Early January doesn’t look good, either, according to OpenSnow founding meteorologist Joel Gratz.

“The trend is not our friend,” Gratz titled his daily update Tuesday morning.

Wolf Creek in southern Colorado is 100% open and is expecting 11 inches of fresh snow over the next five days, according to OpenSnow, a mountain snow forecasting and reporting service, but prospects for resorts close enough to Denver for day trips are far less encouraging. The forecast is calling for Vail, Beaver Creek, Loveland, Winter Park, Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain to receive 3 inches or less over the next five days.

Steamboat is forecast to receive 11 inches, but only 7% of its terrain is currently open, and its base depth is 33% below normal. Arapahoe Basin’s terrain stands at 6%, Telluride 5%. Three resorts are at 11%: Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain and Powderhorn.

Besides Wolf Creek, the only ski areas with most of their terrain in operation are Monarch and Ski Cooper at 70% and 64%, respectively.

Ski areas with base depths running 50% below normal or worse include Wolf Creek, Sunlight, Vail, Snowmass, Purgatory, Buttermilk, Aspen, Ski Cooper, Echo Mountain, Powderhorn, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Aspen Highlands.

“The weather pattern outlook through early January doesn’t look great for snow,” Gratz wrote. “We might see flakes early in the new year, but I do NOT see a massive shift toward consistent snowy and cold weather.”

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