Sunday, March 15th, was a bit of a sleeper powder day at several ski areas throughout Colorado. Copper Mountain reported just 1 inch overnight, but there were several nice pockets of fresh snow to be found around the mountain. Other ski areas reported quite a bit more snow, like Winter Park, and several ski areas are still seeing snow today (Monday, March 16th). It’s welcome, but it’s nowhere near enough to fix what’s been a pretty lackluster winter season so far.
The week ahead is looking like pretty rough for Colorado’s ski resorts, too. There’s no more snow in the 7-day forecast and, as if that wasn’t enough, temperatures are expected to really climb by this weekend.
According to the National Weather Service, Denver is expected to see temperatures at least into the 80s throughout this week, with a high near 86°F on both Friday and Saturday. Some forecasts have Denver’s temperatures reaching as high as 90°F, but that’s yet to be seen.
It won’t get anywhere near as warm in the mountains, but it’s still set to get well above freezing. At Copper Mountain, Thursday could come with a high of 58°F, Friday with a high of 59°F, and Saturday with a high of 60°F. All three of those days are expected to be sunny or mostly sunny, as well. The town of Breckenridge, meanwhile, could see temperatures reach 64°F on Thursday, 65°F on Friday, and 66°F on Saturday.
The weather is expected to be even warmer further west, with the Town of Vail set to see a high of 66°F on Thursday, 68°F on Friday, and 69°F on Saturday. Winter Park, further east, is looking at a week closer in temperature to Copper, with a high of 57°F on Thursday, 59°F on Friday, and 60°F on Saturday.
None of that means the ski season in Colorado is over, but it certainly won’t be good for the already minimal snowpack. With little-to-no snow in the forecast ahead, ski resorts throughout the region will very likely be forced to close several parts of their mountains.
My advice: get out there and take advantage of the snow and sun this weekend. Plan to grill in the parking lots, ski in shorts and a t-shirt, enjoy après drinks, and wear plenty of sunscreen. If spring skiing hasn’t already started, it’s certainly starting this weekend.
