Weather
Colorado’s mountains stay in the game this week with a breezy Monday–Tuesday refresh followed by a colder, higher-quality round Wednesday night through Friday night. The first wave is warm enough to keep snow levels relatively elevated, so the best early totals favor the northern mountains, especially Steamboat, while most other areas pick up lighter, more “maintenance” accumulations with a mix of moderate and improving snow quality. The late-week setup is the better skier-focused event: colder temperatures, much lower snow levels, and generally higher snow-to-liquid ratios translate to drier, more consistent snowfall across many open resorts, with a few favored pockets pushing into the mid single digits by Friday night.
Monday–Tuesday (1/5–1/6) brings a warm, windy mountain snow round with the best focus on the northern mountains. Snow levels during this window generally sit in the mid-5,000s to low-7,000s feet, keeping precipitation as snow at the open ski areas while lower terrain stays warmer. Steamboat stands out with the steadiest and most meaningful refresh, totaling 5″–7″ through Tuesday night, while most other open resorts add only a couple inches or less. Snow quality is mixed early as SLRs commonly run around 11–14:1 during the day, then improve overnight into the mid-teens at many locations, so turns should trend better after dark and into early Tuesday where snow is still falling. Winds are a notable factor, with gusts frequently pushing into the 30–40+ mph range at several higher-elevation areas, especially along the Front Range and I-70 corridors.
Wednesday night–Friday night (1/7–1/9) is the more winter-like stretch as colder air drops snow levels and boosts snow quality across the state. Snow levels fall sharply, frequently near 900–2,700 feet during the core of the event at many resorts, and temperatures plunge into the single digits and below zero in spots by Thursday night and Friday. This supports consistent all-snow precipitation and generally higher-quality accumulations, with SLRs commonly in the 16–19:1 range, so the snow should ski lighter and drier than earlier in the week. The best overall totals again lean toward Steamboat at 11″–15″ for the full forecast window, while a broad cluster of open central and southern Colorado resorts lands in the 5″–8″ neighborhood. Winds look less extreme for many areas than the early-week surge, though exposed ridgelines still see occasional gusty periods.
After Friday, the medium- to longer-range signal favors a warmer-than-normal and generally drier pattern for Colorado into mid-January. That leans toward fewer meaningful snowfall opportunities overall, with any additional accumulations more likely to be sporadic and terrain-driven rather than a sustained storm cycle. If you are chasing the best odds for fresh snow this forecast window at open resorts, the late-week cold shot is the highest-confidence “quality” period, with Steamboat the clear standout for totals and many other areas cashing in on improved snow density and lower snow levels from Thursday into Friday night.
Resort Forecast Totals
- Steamboat – 11″–15″ total (5″–7″ Mon (01/05) – Tue night (01/06) + 5″–9″ Wed night (01/07) – Fri night (01/09))
- Crested Butte – 6″–8″ total (3″–4″ Mon (01/05) – Tue (01/06) + 3″–5″ Wed night (01/07) – Fri (01/09))
- Vail – 5″–8″ total (2″–3″ Mon (01/05) – Mon night (01/05) + 3″–5″ Wed night (01/07) – Fri night (01/09))
- Beaver Creek – 5″–8″ total (2″–3″ Mon (01/05) – Mon night (01/05) + 3″–5″ Wed night (01/07) – Fri night (01/09))
- Wolf Creek – 5″–8″ total (1″–2″ Mon (01/05) – Mon night (01/05) + 4″–6″ Wed night (01/07) – Fri night (01/09))
- Snowmass – 5″–7″ total (2″ Mon (01/05) – Mon night (01/05) + 3″–5″ Wed night (01/07) – Fri night (01/09))
- Loveland – 4″–6″ total (2″ Mon (01/05) – Tue (01/06) + 2″–4″ Thu (01/08) – Fri night (01/09))
- Telluride – 4″–6″ Wed night (01/07) – Fri night (01/09)
- Winter Park – 4″–6″ total (1″ Mon (01/05) – Mon night (01/05) + 3″–5″ Wed night (01/07) – Fri night (01/09))
- Arapahoe Basin – 4″–5″ total (1″–2″ Mon (01/05) – Mon night (01/05) + 2″–4″ Thu (01/08) – Fri night (01/09))
- Copper Mountain – 3″–5″ total (1″–2″ Mon (01/05) – Mon night (01/05) + 2″–3″ Thu (01/08) – Fri night (01/09))
- Monarch – 3″–4″ Wed night (01/07) – Fri night (01/09)
- Breckenridge – 2″–3″ Thu (01/08) – Fri night (01/09)
