With only four ski resorts open in Colorado as drought conditions have forced early lift closings across the state, skiers and snowboarders could see some soft turns to end out April.
After closing earlier than normal, Breckenridge Ski Resort is turning its lifts back on Saturday, April 25, for one last day of skiing and riding, joining the short list of open resorts that includes Loveland Ski Area, Copper Mountain Resort and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. Each has events going on to celebrate the waning days of skiing left, and a series of two snowstorms is expected to arrive before May.
“Coming up, one storm will bring snow around April 26-27, and a second storm will bring snow around April 30-May 1,” OpenSnow founder and lead meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote in his blog. “Both systems could deliver substantial accumulations, and temperatures will be cool through the end of April.”
The National Weather Service has not issued a winter advisory as of Friday afternoon, but it has chances of snow in the forecast every day from Saturday until Friday, May 1. While Breckenridge and Loveland have announced they are are officially closing this Saturday and Sunday, respectively, Copper Mountain and Arapahoe Basin plan to keep guests skiing into early May.
By Sunday, Loveland and Breckenridge are only forecast to get 2-4 inches, but then steady snowfall will bring more snow to much of Colorado’s highest peaks and resorts. The 10-day outlook from OpenSnow calls for 17 inches to fall at Arapahoe Basin and 13 inches for Copper Mountain during this storm cycle.
This is expected to be followed by a stormy start to May, where areas could see between 1-2 inches of precipitation between April 22 and May 6.
“This will not erase our drought, but it’s a small step in the right direction,” Gratz wrote.

The snow-rain line will be around 8,000-9,000 feet elevation, meaning rain for high elevation areas like resorts but a rain-snow mix or just rain in the valleys. A majority of Summit County is above 9,000 feet.
Traffic impacts are expected with this storm. Anyone traveling over mountain passes are advised to prepare for chain and traction laws to be in effect. The most recent spring snowstorm caused a 70-plus vehicle pile-up crash on Interstate 70.
For weather updates, visit Weather.gov/bou or visit OpenSnow.com. For travel alerts and road conditions, visit CoTrip.org. For chain and traction law information, visit CSP.Colorado.gov/chain-law-information.
