
Powderhorn's summit reaches 9,850 feet, dropping 1,650 vertical feet to a base at 8,200 feet across 42 runs spread over 1,600 acres on the Grand Mesa near Mesa, Colorado. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent beginner, 20 per cent advanced and 10 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 250 inches. Four lifts, including one quad chair and one triple chair, serve the mountain alongside one double chair and one surface lift.
Powderhorn holds a genuinely distinctive place among Colorado resorts as the only ski area situated on the Grand Mesa, the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, and as the primary ski resort serving the Western Slope's Grand Junction area. Its intermediate-and-beginner-weighted terrain has built a reputation as a welcoming, family-oriented resort away from the more crowded I-70 corridor.
Powderhorn Resort opened in 1966, developed to bring lift-served skiing to the Grand Mesa above Grand Junction and the broader Western Slope. The resort has changed ownership several times over subsequent decades while continuing to serve as the primary winter recreation destination for the Grand Junction region.
Powderhorn does not carry Epic or Ikon Pass affiliation, operating as an independently positioned resort focused on serving its regional Western Slope visitor base. Adult daily tickets run from 69 to 89 US dollars.
Powderhorn spreads 1,600 acres (648 hectares) down the side of the Grand Mesa, roughly 45 minutes east of Grand Junction on Colorado's Western Slope. Its 50 runs fall 1,650 ft (503 m) from a summit at 9,850 ft (3,002 m) to a base at 8,200 ft (2,499 m). Half the terrain is intermediate, with 26 per cent advanced, 20 per cent beginner and only 4 per cent expert, so it is a mid-grade mountain with a few steeper pockets rather than a place for extreme descents.
The Take Four quad, with a midway station, serves the left half of the mountain, while the West End double has long served the right side. A high-speed quad, the Wild West Express, was scheduled to replace the West End lift ahead of the 2026-27 season and roughly halve the ride time. Tenderfoot into Lower Dude is the longest run at 1.8 miles (2.9 km), a mellow cruise from top to bottom. With so little expert terrain, Powderhorn suits families, learners and intermediates who prefer quiet slopes and short lift lines, with enough pitch to keep advanced skiers entertained for a weekend.
The 2025-26 season at Powderhorn ran from 6 December 2025 to 15 March 2026, a roughly fifteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 250 inches on the Grand Mesa. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather conditions.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Powderhorn's intermediate-and-beginner-weighted terrain. As an independently operated resort, Powderhorn draws its visitor base primarily from Grand Junction and the broader Western Slope, along with regional visitors seeking an approachable, uncrowded alternative to the larger I-70 corridor resorts.
Powderhorn's family-friendly terrain mix continues to support strong learn-to-ski and family visitation throughout the season. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given the resort's approachable pricing and beginner-focused terrain.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Powderhorn continues to build on nearly six decades of history since its 1966 founding as the Grand Mesa's primary ski destination. The resort's Western Slope location and family-friendly character remain central to its regional appeal.
Powderhorn sits on the Grand Mesa near Mesa, Colorado, with a base elevation of 8,200 feet and a summit at 9,850 feet across a 1,650-foot vertical drop over 1,600 acres. This setting on the Grand Mesa, the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, places Powderhorn on Colorado's Western Slope, well away from the Interstate 70 corridor.
Grand Junction, the primary population centre of Colorado's Western Slope, lies within a manageable drive of the resort, providing lodging, dining and services for Powderhorn's regional visitor base.
Colorado State Highway 65 provides direct access to the resort across the Grand Mesa from Grand Junction. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice at the mesa's considerable elevation, and travellers should carry appropriate equipment. There is no direct public transport service to the resort.
Grand Junction Regional Airport, a manageable drive from the resort, offers direct flights from several major US cities, providing Powderhorn's most convenient air-travel gateway distinct from the longer journey required to reach it from Denver.
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Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.

Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.

Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.

Kelly Canyon had a rough 2025-26, and the Idaho resort has spent the summer making sure it doesn’t repeat. Snowmaking now reaches the top of Goldrush, the terrain park is doubling in size with a stereo system, lights and a snack shack, and the car park is getting bigger. Grooming is stepping up too. Target opening is December 4, conditions permitting.

Winter was meant to be winding down in Chile. Then Valle Nevado took 108 cm in 48 hours in early October, and the resort has pushed its closing date out to November 8 - its latest in 38 years of operation. That makes 143 days of skiing since opening day on June 19, with 690 cm banked for the season. Only part of the mountain is running while the storm settles, so check the mountain report before you plan a trip.

The Alps look a lot more like winter today, for a day or so. A cold front is moving west to east, dropping up to 35 cm on high glaciers and peaks, with snow levels falling to around 1,500-1,800 m at times. Don’t plan a trip around it: mid-elevation snow will be thin and wet, every area is closed bar a limited Sölden glacier opening tomorrow, and warmer weather returns by Monday.

Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.

Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.
Live open status isn’t available right now.
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
Days 1–7
6.8"
Days 8–14
3.6"
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Snow depth at Powderhorn is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 503m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Powderhorn's base and summit.
We pull Powderhorn's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 5 lifts, including a quad chairlift.
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.