Ski USA - Colorado

Welcome to the Ski USA page, providing a regular round-up of the skiing conditions and current snow reports for the main ski resorts in the United States. Over recent years some of the best and consistent piste conditions have been reported at Aspen (Colorado), Alta (Utah), The Canyons (Utah), Winter Park (Colorado), Big Sky (Montana) and Jackson Hole (Wyoming). However, in any given week or season the best slope conditions may be found at a number of other North American resorts so keep an eye on the snow forecasts and reports if you are planning a last minute trip.

For off-piste powder, Alta, Aspen, Big Sky, The Canyons, Winter Park and Loveland have proven among the most consistent in the country over several seasons but check out the reports below for the latest news.

For big snowfalls and accumulated snow depths the Californian resorts of Squaw Valley and Mammoth feature strongly in the records as do the dry powder resorts of Solitude, Alta and Snowbird. Timberline in Oregon also has an enviable snow record.

With more than 500 ski areas spread across some 38 US states, America is one of the world’s leading ski nations, clocking up around 50 million skiers on the slopes each winter.

US ski resorts are spread right across the country from East Coast to West. There are also resorts in Alaska and it’s sometimes possible to ski in Hawaii on the slopes of 4205m high Mauna Kea, although there are no ski lifts there.

You’ll find a great diversity of terrain when you ski USA from the comparatively low lying mountains of New England and the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia to the south, to smaller hills across the MidWestern prairies, to the Rocky Mountains and Sierras on the West. The Rockies stretch over a mile above sea level at resort height in some cases, resulting in almost half of the 20 highest ski lifts in the world being located in Colorado.

What’s common to this diverse selection of ski areas, which range from small private hills owned by schools and military bases to major international resorts like Aspen and Vail famed around the world, is a dedication to high service standards. When you’re skiing USA these include high quality on the slopes with well groomed, normally uncrowded slopes with uplift generally provided by chairlifts, gondolas or cable cars (known as trams in North America) rather than drag lifts. Indeed the chairlift, as well as the hot tub, are both American inventions credited to Sun Valley in Idaho.

Some ski areas in the USA date back the best part of a century. Most were established by pioneers, often on a shoestring budget with just a simple tow lift converted from a car, lorry or even motorbike engine. But decades of gradual growth have led many of these original small, simple set-ups to become major international resorts – Mammoth Mountain in California is a good example of this.

Others were set up by emigrants from the Alps, most famously Cranmore Mountain Resort in New Hampshire which was established with help from Austrian downhill ski technique pioneer Hannes Schneider from the Austrian Arlberg who arrived in the US having refused to join the Nazi propaganda machine when they took over Austria in the 1930s. During the Second World War he helped train the 10th Mountain Division of the U. S. Army, some veterans of which also became resort developers after the war.

Famous resorts like Vail, now the largest ski area in the US, were established later with strong European involvement. Other resorts like Aspen and Breckenridge were former 19th century mining settlements that found a new lease of life when ‘white gold’ was struck.

Along with growth on the mountains, the 1990s and first decade of the current century saw a boom in resort ‘real estate’ developments with hotels, condominiums, shops and restaurants created at the bases of ski slopes which in some cases had previously only had car parks. This period – which slowed dramatically from 2008 due to the global economic situation – led to an era of corporations taking over from individual families, and currently four or five large companies own and operate around 50 leading US resorts between them.

In Eastern North America snowmaking developed in the 1950s and rapidly became an essential requirement at most of the ski areas in the region, leading to it becoming known as “the snowmaking capital of the world.”

In the West of the country, which is best known for its destination resorts particularly in states like California, Utah and Colorado, a major selling point is abundant, deep powder snow which is the norm if not always guaranteed. One of the snowiest places on earth are Alaska and Washington State in the North West of the country where falls of up to 50 feet (16 metres) can be recorded in one winter, more than any other ski region on earth.

Criticisms of US skiing from some, when compared to Europe, is that ski areas are mostly smaller, lift tickets more expensive, spectacular scenery is rare and the resorts and slopes are too sanitised and bland at some of the most corporately run areas. The kind of family run, home-cooking small mountain hut is quite rare in the US where large cafeterias serving fast food are more common. However many of these ‘flaws’ for some are seen as assets by others, which when combined with the other points listed in this article combine to make the US ski experience the best on earth.

And despite the well groomed pistes, many resorts have built reputations for challenging off piste terrain, including Jackson Hole in Wyoming, Alyeska in Alaska and Squaw Valley in California.

The country’s positive attitude to children is also seen as an asset for families in most cases, with children praised for their efforts in nursery and ski school.

The US is also the home of snowboarding with Jake Burton inventing the sport in Vermont in the late 1970s. Stratton there has organised snowboarding contests longer than any other. However the country is also home to three resorts that still ban snowboarding: Alta and Deer Valley, both in Utah, and Mad River Glen in Vermont.
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USA - Colorado: latest snow conditions round-up


USA / Canada

Summary of forecast snowfall and ski conditions for resorts in USA - Colorado. Fresh snow is forecast at 17 resorts. Powder is reported at 1 resorts and 11 are reporting good piste conditions.

All resorts

Best powder (1)Best piste conditions (11)

Ski resorts of USA - Colorado, alphabetically

Resort
snow depth
top and bottom

on-piste

off-piste

Last Snow

Next 9 Days
0–3 | 3–6 | 6–9
snow (cm)
Next 5 days weather forecast.
Freezing level (m)
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

(3286m — 3801m)

snow report yesterday

173
173
Packed Powder 2.0 cm
2 days ago
19.0
19.0
clear rain showers light rain light snow snow showers
Mid station 3544 m
2550m 3000m 3200m 2700m 1900m

(2421m — 3417m)

snow report yesterday

114
114
Packed Powder 7 cm
4 days ago
5.0
7.0
clear rain showers light rain light rain snow showers
Mid station 2919 m
3250m 3450m 3250m 2700m 2150m

(2450m — 3558m)

snow report yesterday

188
135
Packed Powder 6 cm
4 days ago
6.0
9.0
clear rain showers light rain light snow snow showers
Mid station 3004 m
3350m 3550m 3200m 2650m 2150m

(2255m — 3487m)

snow report yesterday

142
142
Machine Groomed 6 cm
4 days ago
4.0
19.0
clear cloud cloud light snow light snow
Mid station 2871 m
3300m 3550m 3250m 2700m 2200m

(2925m — 3913m)

snow report yesterday

168
168
Variable Conditions 1.0 cm
2 days ago
10.0
13.0
clear part cloud light rain light snow light snow
Mid station 3419 m
2700m 3150m 3350m 2700m 2000m

(2399m — 3018m)

snow report yesterday

94
89
Packed Powder 6 cm
4 days ago
4.0
5.0
clear rain showers light rain light rain snow showers
Mid station 2708 m
3300m 3500m 3250m 2700m 2150m

(2959m — 3752m)

snow report yesterday

203
178
Spring Conditions 2.0 cm
2 days ago
9.0
16.0
clear part cloud cloud light snow light snow
Mid station 3356 m
2750m 3200m 3400m 2750m 2050m

(2685m — 3618m)

snow report yesterday

175
175
Machine Groomed 9 cm
4 days ago
1.0
9.0
18.0
clear rain showers light rain light snow part cloud
Mid station 3152 m
3350m 3550m 3050m 2600m 1850m

(2818m — 3294m)

snow report 6 days ago

1.0 cm
7 days ago
light rain cloud part cloud cloud part cloud
Mid station 3056 m
3700m 3850m 3750m 2850m 2400m

(2679m — 3297m)

snow report yesterday

127
117
Packed Powder 1.0 cm
4 days ago
1.0
4.0
3.0
light rain light rain light rain light snow part cloud
Mid station 2988 m
3600m 3600m 3100m 2550m 1750m

(3139m — 3353m)

snow report 2 days ago

46
46
Machine Groomed 1.0 cm
4 days ago
28.0
8.0
clear part cloud light rain light snow snow showers
Mid station 3246 m
3500m 3750m 3550m 2650m 1750m

(2804m — 3231m)

snow report yesterday

99
76
Machine Groomed 6 cm
4 days ago
1.0
23.0
17.0
clear clear light rain light snow snow showers
Mid station 3018 m
3350m 3500m 3300m 2700m 1950m

(2493m — 2706m)

snow report 7 days ago

5 cm
8 days ago
part cloud part cloud cloud rain showers clear
Mid station 2600 m
3850m 3850m 3150m 2700m 2200m

(2041m — 2175m)

snow report 2 days ago

3.0 cm
3 days ago
5.0
8.0
clear part cloud light rain light rain light snow
Mid station 2108 m
3600m 3750m 2850m 2350m 1950m

(3109m — 3749m)

snow report yesterday

254
229
Spring Conditions 10 cm
4 days ago
2.0
12.0
26.0
clear rain showers light snow light snow part cloud
Mid station 3429 m
3550m 3600m 3000m 2600m 1850m

(2926m — 3048m)

snow report 2 days ago

127
127
Variable Conditions 3.0 cm
4 days ago
1.0
5.0
1.0
light rain light rain light rain light snow cloud
Mid station 2987 m
3400m 3500m 3150m 2550m 1700m

(2764m — 3717m)

snow report yesterday

163
163
Spring Conditions 2.0 cm
2 days ago
13.0
16.0
clear rain showers light rain light snow light snow
Mid station 3240 m
2550m 3000m 3250m 2650m 1900m

(3231m — 3871m)

snow report yesterday

173
173
Packed Powder 2.0 cm
2 days ago
16.0
18.0
clear rain showers light rain light snow snow showers
Mid station 3551 m
2550m 2950m 3200m 2650m 1900m

(3289m — 3645m)

snow report yesterday

150
150
Packed Powder 3.0 cm
4 days ago
4.0
4.0
clear light rain cloud light snow clear
Mid station 3467 m
3350m 3500m 3250m 2750m 2100m

(2499m — 3002m)

snow report yesterday

122
122
Machine Groomed 12 cm
8 days ago
1.0
4.0
1.0
clear part cloud cloud light rain part cloud
Mid station 2750 m
3800m 3800m 2850m 2600m 2150m

(2679m — 3297m)

snow report 4 days ago

1.0 cm
4 days ago
1.0
4.0
3.0
light rain light rain light rain light snow part cloud
Mid station 2988 m
3600m 3600m 3100m 2550m 1750m

(3170m — 4054m)

snow report yesterday

145
102
Powder 5 cm
4 days ago
3.0
6.0
4.0
light snow light rain light snow light snow cloud
Mid station 3612 m
3400m 3450m 3150m 2550m 1700m

(3200m — 3567m)

snow report yesterday

147
137
Machine Groomed 1.0 cm
2 days ago
7.0
9.0
clear part cloud light rain light snow light snow
Mid station 3384 m
3000m 3400m 3300m 2800m 2050m

(2469m — 3812m)

snow report yesterday

170
117
Packed Powder 6 cm
4 days ago
6.0
12.0
clear rain showers cloud light snow snow showers
Mid station 3140 m
3450m 3600m 3150m 2650m 2150m

(2500m — 2805m)

snow report 2 days ago

64
64
Machine Groomed 6 cm
4 days ago
8.0
23.0
clear rain showers light rain light rain light snow
Mid station 2652 m
3200m 3350m 3300m 2650m 2200m

(2102m — 3220m)

snow report yesterday

272
150
Packed Powder 3.0 cm
3 days ago
1.0
13.0
36.0
clear part cloud light rain light snow light snow
Mid station 2661 m
3600m 3750m 2850m 2350m 1950m

(2403m — 3015m)

snow report yesterday

109
94
Spring Conditions 2.0 cm
4 days ago
1.0
3.0
15.0
clear cloud cloud light snow snow showers
Mid station 2709 m
3650m 3800m 2850m 2600m 2050m

(2659m — 3831m)

snow report yesterday

145
145
Packed Powder 4 cm
4 days ago
1.0
4.0
3.0
rain showers light rain cloud snow showers cloud
Mid station 3245 m
3500m 3500m 3150m 2550m 1950m

(2474m — 3498m)

snow report yesterday

175
175
Machine Groomed 1.0 cm
2 days ago
5.0
21.0
clear part cloud cloud light snow light snow
Mid station 2986 m
3150m 3400m 3250m 2700m 2200m

(2742m — 3674m)

snow report yesterday

216
196
Hard Pack 1.0 cm
2 days ago
18.0
25.0
clear rain showers light rain light snow snow showers
Mid station 3208 m
2750m 3000m 3200m 2650m 2050m

(3140m — 3628m)

snow report today

187
165
Spring snow 4 cm
8 days ago
1.0
1.0
part cloud part cloud cloud cloud cloud
Mid station 3384 m
3800m 3800m 3200m 2700m 2150m