Colorado snow report
Dry and windy first, then San Juans snow lead the way
Quiet, then a possible stormWeek of 25 Oct 2026Forecast data as of 27 Oct 12:02 UTC
Next snow
Sun 1 Nov
First day with measurable snow
Best snow day
Mon 2 Nov
Up to 10 in at Crested Butte
Most snow, 14 days
Crested Butte
16 in forecast in total
Coldest feels like
-4°F
Cooper Ski Area, Tue 3 Nov
By SnowStash· Updated 27 Oct 2026
A dry, windy week comes first, with gusts of 50 mph on Wednesday 28 Oct, before a storm on Sunday 1 Nov and Monday 2 Nov. The focus of the snow shifts from the San Juans, where Purgatory and Telluride should see 16 in, to Steamboat in the north for a light fall on Tuesday 3 Nov. The sharpest cold follows that day, feeling like -4°F at Cooper Ski Area. Confidence is high early, moderate for the storm and low after 4 Nov.
Plan around it
When
Best snow day is likely Monday 2 Nov, with Crested Butte on course for 10 in.
Where
San Juans, led by Purgatory, and Elk Mountains, with Crested Butte, collect the most over 14 days.
Watch for
Gusts of 50 mph on Wednesday 28 Oct may close lifts; -4°F feels-like at Cooper Ski Area on 3 Nov.
The next 14 days
Average day by day
Pick snow, temperature, freezing level or wind. The bar above the days jumps to each part of the story below.
Swipe sideways for all 14 days. Tap a day for the detail.
Quiet: Tue 27 Oct - Sat 31 Oct
Dry, breezy and cold to start
No meaningful snow is forecast from Tuesday 27 Oct to Saturday 31 Oct, so this is a dry stretch across the whole state. Wind is the main issue. South-westerly flow brings gusts of 50 mph on Wednesday 28 Oct, and lifts are likely to close on the windiest days.
Typical highs reach 42°F, with lows near 26°F. It feels like 2°F at Loveland on Wednesday 28 Oct. The freezing level swings between 8,750 ft and 13,100 ft.
Snow
Dry
0 in average across the region
Typical high / low
42° / 26°F
Feels like 2° at Loveland
Freezing level
8,750-13,100 ft
Height where the air hits 0°C
Strongest gusts
50 mph
Lift closures likely
Storm: Sun 1 Nov - Mon 2 NovModerate confidence
San Juans take the big totals
The San Juans are favoured when the storm arrives on Sunday 1 Nov, and it should peak on Monday 2 Nov. The zone averages 14 in, well above the regional average of 7.6 in. Purgatory and Telluride should both reach 16 in.
In the Elk Mountains, Crested Butte matches that 16 in, though the zone averages 6.7 in. The Front Range averages 8.3 in, with Eldora on 8.3 in. In the central zone around Summit County, Copper Mountain leads with 8.1 in. Steamboat is lightest at 4.7 in. No zone misses out, but resort totals range from 3.1 in to 16 in. Precipitation should last around 31 hours.
The freezing level runs from 7,300 ft to 12,050 ft. Rain could mix in at resorts whose listed elevation is below it, such as Aspen Buttermilk, Steamboat and Sunlight Mountain. Visibility is likely to be poor, and it should feel like 1°F at Telluride on Monday 2 Nov.
Best-placed resort
Across all resorts3.1 to 16 in
White marker: regional average, 7.6 in
1.2
Sun
1
6.4
Mon
2
Regional average by day (in). The gold bar is the peak day.
Biggest totals
- Crested Butte16 in
- Purgatory16 in
- Telluride16 in
Typical high / low
35° / 22°F
Feels like 1° at Telluride
Strongest gusts
32 mph
Poor visibility likely
Where it favours
Average forecast snow by area. Favoured: San Juans.
- San Juans14 in
- Front Range8.3 in
- Elk Mountains6.7 in
- Summit and Vail6.1 in
- Steamboat4.7 in
Snow or rain? Where the freezing level sits
Every resort at its listed elevation. Pick a storm day to see which stay above the freezing level.
Mon 2 Nov: the freezing level sits between 7,300 and 10,600 ft (about 9,500 ft on average). 15 of 22 resorts sit above it, 7 inside it.
Above the freezing level: snow is the likely outcomeInside the band: rain or a mix is possible at timesBelow the band: warmer airAverage freezing level
Bars rise to each resort's listed elevation. The band is the lowest to highest freezing level across resorts that day, so a resort inside it can see snow at some hours and rain at others. A guide, not a per-resort forecast.
Light snow: Tue 3 NovModerate confidence
Northern flurries to finish
The focus of the snow shifts north on Tuesday 3 Nov. Steamboat does best with 1.9 in, against a regional average of only 0.4 in. In the central zone, Beaver Creek and Arapahoe Basin each should pick up 0.7 in, while the San Juans get nothing.
The freezing level drops to between 5,300 ft and 9,800 ft, and 19 of 22 resorts sit above it, so snow should reach most of them. North-westerly flow makes it the coldest day of the fortnight, feeling like -4°F at Cooper Ski Area. That cold favours snowmaking, because snowmakers work from wet-bulb temperature, and very cold, dry nights are the most productive.
Who gets the most
Total snow for this spell. The regional average is 0.4 in, so where you ski matters.
- Steamboat1.9 in
- Beaver Creek0.7 in
- Arapahoe Basin0.7 in
Typical high / low
27° / 10°F
Feels like -4° at Cooper Ski AreaGood snowmaking temps
Strongest gusts
21 mph
Where it favours
Average forecast snow by area. Favoured: Steamboat.
- Steamboat1.9 in
- Summit and Vail0.4 in
- Front Range0.4 in
- Elk Mountains0.2 in
- San Juans0 in
Quiet: Wed 4 Nov - Mon 9 NovLow confidence
Cold, calm and mostly dry
From Wednesday 4 Nov to Monday 9 Nov, conditions may stay dry, though confidence is low and this could change. The best calm, dry window may run from 4 Nov to 7 Nov. Highs could average 37°F with lows near 17°F, and it could feel like -3°F at Breckenridge on Wednesday 4 Nov.
The cold favours snowmaking, since wet-bulb temperatures drop on dry nights. Lifts could be put on hold on the breezier days. The freezing level may range from 5,300 ft to 15,050 ft, and rain could mix in at Steamboat, whose listed elevation is below the freezing level.
Snow
Dry
0 in average across the region
Typical high / low
37° / 17°F
Feels like -3° at BreckenridgeGood snowmaking temps
Freezing level
5,300-15,050 ft
Height where the air hits 0°C
Strongest gusts
44 mph
Lift holds possible
The 14-day picture
Most snow, next 14 days
Total forecast snow across the whole fortnight. Later days are less certain, so treat the order as a guide.
Biggest totals
Forecast snow, all 14 days added together.
- Crested Butte16 in
- Purgatory16 in
- Telluride16 in
- Wolf Creek12 in
- Winter Park9.1 in
Before you go
Resort status
1 of 22 resorts is in season on its scheduled dates, Arapahoe Basin. Breckenridge, Keystone and Winter Park are scheduled to open on 30 Oct, and Copper Mountain and Loveland on 7 Nov. The next opening after that is Vail on 13 Nov. "In season" is the resort's scheduled calendar, not a live lift report.
In season
1 of 22 resorts are inside their scheduled season. This is the calendar, not a live lift report.
- Arapahoe Basin0 of 0 lifts
Lift counts are from each resort's latest snow report check.
Scheduled openings
Dates from each resort's season calendar.
- Breckenridge30 Oct
- Keystone30 Oct
- Winter Park30 Oct
- Copper Mountain7 Nov
- Loveland7 Nov
- Next after thatVail13 Nov
Reading the forecast
Snowfall and freezing levels are forecast at upper-mountain points for each resort, so real totals can differ where terrain lifts or shelters the weather. Treat figures as a guide to timing and scale, and check each resort's own page before you travel.
How this report is made
SnowStash calculates every figure from its own forecast data. The wording is drafted with AI from those figures and checked before publishing.