Weather
This forecast was created at 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
A warm midweek pattern delivers mostly light, high-elevation snow, then a cooler weekend storm brings the best new powder potential, especially in the Park Range near Steamboat. Snow levels are high early, with marginal temperatures at lower elevations, keeping midweek accumulations modest and favoring upper-mountain terrain in the San Juans and along the Continental Divide. By Friday night into the weekend, colder air filters in and snow levels drop sharply, improving snow quality and allowing better coverage at all elevations, with generally lighter winds by Sunday. Looking beyond the weekend, the broader pattern favors continued precipitation across Colorado, but with temperatures leaning milder overall, snow levels may remain a key factor with any follow-on systems.
Wednesday night through Friday is a warm, southwest-flow setup that favors higher terrain but keeps overall snowfall on the modest side for most Colorado resorts. Snow levels are generally high during this window, often around 9,000 to 10,000 feet early, so the best midweek accumulation is above roughly 10,000 feet, with mixed results lower on the mountain. The San Juans and nearby Continental Divide areas (including Wolf Creek and Telluride) receive light snow with denser to moderate quality, as SLRs commonly sit in the 8–12:1 range and temperatures hover near the freezing mark at times. Crested Butte also sees a small Thursday-to-Friday event, with early snow quality on the dense side before improving as temperatures cool.
Friday night through Sunday is the main window to watch, with colder air arriving and snow levels dropping enough to improve both coverage and snow quality statewide. Northern and north-central Colorado stand out most, with Steamboat leading totals as the storm ramps up Friday night, continues Saturday, and tapers Sunday. Snow levels fall from the mid-mountain range to roughly 5,000 feet or lower by late weekend at many locations, and SLRs trend higher, often into the 14–18:1 range during the colder phases, so snow quality improves to relatively light and fluffy compared to midweek. Winds trend breezy at times along ridgelines, with the most exposed areas occasionally gusty, but the cold, higher-SLR snow late weekend should ski best where the storm is most persistent.
Late December through early January continues to indicate an active precipitation signal for Colorado, along with a generally warmer-than-normal temperature backdrop. That combination can still be productive for the high country, yet it increases the importance of storm-by-storm snow levels for lower mountain terrain. If the wetter signal verifies, the best odds for consistently wintry outcomes remain at higher elevations and in colder, favored mountain zones, while warmer surges could periodically nudge snow quality denser during parts of events. Overall, expect additional snow beyond the weekend, with variability in snow level and density depending on timing and temperature swings.
Resort Forecast Totals
- Steamboat – 5″–8″ Fri night (12/26) – Sun (12/28)
- Wolf Creek – 5″–7″ total (3″–5″ Wed night (12/24) – Fri night (12/26) + 1″–2″ Fri night (12/26) – Sun (12/28))
- Crested Butte – 4″–6″ total (2″–2″ Thu (12/25) – Fri (12/26) + 2″–4″ Fri night (12/26) – Sun night (12/28))
- Winter Park – 3″–4″ Sat (12/27) – Sun night (12/28)
- Snowmass – 2″–4″ Fri night (12/26) – Sun night (12/28)
- Loveland – 2″–4″ Sat (12/27) – Sun night (12/28)
- Arapahoe Basin – 2″–3″ Sat (12/27) – Sun night (12/28)
- Vail – 2″–3″ Sat (12/27) – Sun (12/28)
- Beaver Creek – 2″–3″ Sat (12/27) – Sun (12/28)
- Telluride – 1″–2″ Wed night (12/24) – Thu night (12/25)
- Copper Mountain – 1″–2″ Sat (12/27) – Sun night (12/28)
- Breckenridge – 1″–2″ Sat night (12/27) – Sun night (12/28)
