Weather
This forecast was created at 10:30 a.m. PST on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Two short waves bring light, base-building snow to Colorado high peaks, first tonight into Friday with high snow levels, then a cooler, windier northern-mountains burst Sunday night into Monday. Expect generally 2″–4″ across the higher terrain, with localized higher tallies of 3″–5″ around the Park Range and 3″–4″ near Monarch, while many mid-mountain bases sit near the rain-snow line. Snow quality starts on the dense side tonight with snow-to-liquid ratios mostly 8–12:1, then improves into the low teens as colder air arrives late in the weekend. All listed resorts remain closed, so impacts are limited to pre-season snowpack, and the medium range trends warmer and drier into early November.
Thursday night–Friday brings a warm, moisture-rich brush for most mountain zones with the best coverage this evening through Friday morning. Snow levels run high, generally 9,200–10,300 feet depending on location, so accumulations favor upper elevations while lower slopes see mixed precip or a trace. Snow quality is base-building rather than blower with SLRs commonly in the 8–12:1 range and even a bit lower at times in the central and southern mountains; temperatures hover near 30–36 °F at many mid-mountain elevations. Light to modest winds prevail for most areas, though a few ridgelines pick up gusts into the teens to low 20s mph. Most peaks tally a couple of inches from this first pass, with standouts like Monarch closer to 3″–4″ and the I-70 corridor upper elevations in the 2″–3″ bracket.
Saturday is a quieter interlude with partial clearing and seasonable to slightly milder temperatures. Any lingering flurries fade from south to north, and winds ease for a time while a transient ridge noses in. With high snow levels during the first wave and lifts still closed across the state, Saturday mainly serves to settle and consolidate the light new snow at upper elevations. Copper Mountain and Breckenridge are next in the opening queue in early November, followed by Vail mid-month, so this lull arrives ahead of the next quick-hitting system.
Sunday night–Monday targets the northern mountains with a cooler, windier shot and better snow quality. Strengthening west-to-west-northwest flow favors the Park, Gore, and Flattops, with snow levels lowering to roughly 8,000–8,400 feet near the Continental Divide and even lower, toward 6,000 feet by Tuesday in the Yampa Valley. SLRs improve to 11–13:1 in favored zones, and ridge-top winds increase, at times to 20 mph with gusts of 30–40 mph in exposed areas, which enhances orographic production on west-facing terrain. This wave adds a fresh 1″–2″ around the Divide while Steamboat’s window from Sunday night through Tuesday supports a broader 3″–5″ outcome as colder air arrives late in the period. Additional light showers may linger into Tuesday north, then taper as the pattern relaxes.
Looking ahead, the medium-range pattern favors a warm, somewhat dry pattern for Colorado. Ensemble guidance favors above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation across the state through the 6–10 and 8–14 day periods, which support more frequent mild spells and only brief, lighter mountain snow chances. Any quick northwest-flow impulses would continue to favor the far northern ranges, while the central and southern mountains would be quieter. Plan on periodic cool fronts, but the broader signal into early November points to limited storm frequency and modest totals between systems.
Resort Forecast Totals
- Steamboat – 3″–5″ Sun night (10/26) – Tue (10/28)
- Monarch – 3″–4″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri night (10/24)
- Loveland – 3″–4″ total (2″–3″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri night (10/24) + 1″–2″ Sun night (10/26) – Mon (10/27))
- Vail – 3″–3″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri (10/24)
- Beaver Creek – 2″–3″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri (10/24)
- Arapahoe Basin – 2″–3″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri night (10/24)
- Snowmass – 2″–3″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri (10/24)
- Telluride – 2″–3″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri night (10/24)
- Crested Butte – 2″–2″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri night (10/24)
- Copper Mountain – 2″–2″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri night (10/24)
- Breckenridge – 2″–2″ Thu night (10/23) – Fri night (10/24)
