Colorado Resort Counts Down to Snowmaking Start As Super El Niño Looms

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:55:22 GMT

Colorado's Loveland ski resort says it expects to start snowmaking in about 100 days at the start of autumn.

The resort, one of the world's highest with its slopes over two vertical miles above sea-level, aims to open in late October or early November each year, usually one of the first to do so in the northern hemisphere.

Colorado and much of the Rockies suffered one of their worst winters for snowfall in history last season, and resorts are hoping the emerging super El Nino forecast to be in full force next winter will bring a bounce back with abundant snowfall.

Although these systems rarely play out exactly as predicted, El Nino conditions typically create a sharp north-south snowfall split across major ski regions. Southern‑tier mountains should benefit most, with California's Sierra Nevada and the Southern Rockies (Colorado/New Mexico) positioned for frequent, moisture‑rich storms driven by an enhanced subtropical jet. These zones historically over‑perform in strong El Nino years, and early‑season precipitation outlooks now extend farther into the central Rockies, boosting confidence for deeper snowpacks.

In contrast, resorts in America's Pacific Northwest corner and further north in Canada's coastal British Columbia are likely to see warmer storms, higher rain lines and reduced snowfall, a typical El Nino consequence when the storm track shifts south.

Latest posts for the topic "Colorado Resort Counts Down to Snowmaking Start As Super El Niño Looms"

Colorado Resort Counts Down to Snowmaking Start As Super El Niño Looms