Colorado Ski Season Forecast 2026-27
The short answer: PassCast's simulations currently put Colorado near a typical season for 2026-27, with an average skiability of 66/100 across 20 mountains. Loveland (78), Wolf Creek (75), Arapahoe Basin (72) lead the region today. Forecast-driven ski pass planning starts with where the snow will be — run any of these mountains through the Pass Finder before you buy.
The regional readfrom the 2026-27 outlook · compiled 2026-07-06
El Niño splits Colorado along a northwest-southeast axis: the energized subtropical jet favors the San Juans and Sangre de Cristos, while Steamboat and the northern mountains lose their La Niña edge. Strong-event analogs (1982-83, 1997-98, 2023-24) skew average-to-above statewide with storm-heavy springs, though 2015-16 was mixed. Play it as southern Colorado above average, the I-70 corridor near normal, and March-April loaded.
Every Colorado mountain, ranked by 2026-27 forecast
Skiability blends absolute snow (35%), season-vs-typical (30%), powder days (20%), and bust risk (15%). Click through for each mountain's full simulation, month-by-month outlook, and pass math.
| # | Resort | Skiability | Median snow | vs typical | Powder days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loveland CO | 78 | 441" | 102% | ~23 |
| 2 | Wolf Creek CO | 75 | 429" | 101% | ~23 |
| 3 | Arapahoe Basin CO | 72 | 367" | 104% | ~17 |
| 4 | Vail CO | 71 | 355" | 101% | ~18 |
| 5 | Breckenridge CO | 71 | 360" | 102% | ~17 |
| 6 | Monarch CO | 70 | 336" | 100% | ~18 |
| 7 | Beaver Creek CO | 69 | 328" | 102% | ~16 |
| 8 | Winter Park CO | 68 | 329" | 102% | ~15 |
| 9 | Copper Mountain CO | 66 | 308" | 103% | ~13 |
| 10 | Steamboat CO | 65 | 323" | 94% | ~16 |
| 11 | Eldora CO | 65 | 259" | 106% | ~13 |
| 12 | Purgatory CO | 65 | 261" | 104% | ~14 |
| 13 | Aspen Snowmass CO | 64 | 296" | 98% | ~13 |
| 14 | Telluride CO | 64 | 280" | 102% | ~12 |
| 15 | Ski Cooper CO | 64 | 268" | 104% | ~12 |
| 16 | Powderhorn CO | 63 | 237" | 107% | ~14 |
| 17 | Sunlight CO | 62 | 249" | 101% | ~12 |
| 18 | Keystone CO | 59 | 239" | 102% | ~9 |
| 19 | Crested Butte CO | 58 | 233" | 99% | ~9 |
| 20 | Granby Ranch CO | 55 | 216" | 96% | ~8 |
Pass coverage in Colorado
Epic Pass$1,119 · 6 of 20 Colorado mountains
Vail · Breckenridge · Beaver Creek · Telluride · Keystone · Crested Butte
Ikon Pass$1,449 · 6 of 20 Colorado mountains
Arapahoe Basin · Winter Park · Copper Mountain · Steamboat · Eldora · Aspen Snowmass
Ikon Base$1,019 · 6 of 20 Colorado mountains
Arapahoe Basin · Winter Park · Copper Mountain · Steamboat · Eldora · Aspen Snowmass
Epic Local$829 · 5 of 20 Colorado mountains
Vail · Breckenridge · Beaver Creek · Keystone · Crested Butte
Colorado 2026-27: straight answers
- Will Colorado have a good 2026-27 ski season?
- PassCast's daily 10,000-run simulations put Colorado's 20 tracked mountains at 101% of a typical season on average — near a typical season — with an average skiability rating of 66/100. El Niño splits Colorado along a northwest-southeast axis: the energized subtropical jet favors the San Juans and Sangre de Cristos, while Steamboat and the northern mountains lose their La Niña edge. Strong-event analogs (1982-83, 1997-98, 2023-24) skew average-to-above statewide with storm-heavy springs, though 2015-16 was mixed.
- Which Colorado ski resort will have the best snow in 2026-27?
- As of today's simulation, Loveland leads Colorado with a skiability rating of 78/100 ("Exceptional season likely") and a median of 441" — 102% of its typical season. The full ranking on this page updates daily.
- Which ski pass covers Colorado?
- Epic Pass covers 6 of the 20 tracked Colorado mountains (e.g. Vail, Breckenridge); Ikon Pass covers 6 of the 20 tracked Colorado mountains (e.g. Arapahoe Basin, Winter Park); Ikon Base covers 6 of the 20 tracked Colorado mountains (e.g. Arapahoe Basin, Winter Park). PassCast's Pass Finder runs your exact Colorado plan through every pass's day caps and prices.
Forecasts are probabilistic and reseeded daily from ENSO analogs, NOAA CPC outlooks, and the ECMWF SEAS5 ensemble — see methodology. Regional narrative compiled 2026-07-06.