Colorado Ski Resorts Expand Terrain with New Snowfall

A recent snowstorm has allowed several ski resorts in Colorado to open additional trails, offering a welcome boost to the ski season. On January 9, 2024, resorts received significant snowfall, with Arapahoe Basin reporting up to nine inches. More snow is predicted from Wednesday night through Friday morning, potentially enhancing skiing conditions further.

Arapahoe Basin has opened the Chisholm loop and initiated “limited and directed skiing” on Lenawee Parks, West Wall, and Slalom Slope. According to spokesperson Shayna Silverman, “limited” skiing indicates that terrain may be open intermittently, with ski patrol authorized to close it at any time to manage conditions. “We will not officially claim that as open terrain until the ropes are dropped for the season,” Silverman stated, emphasizing the cautious approach to terrain management. Currently, only 8% of A-Basin’s trails are operational, but Silverman noted they are nearing the opening of the renowned steeps of Pallavicini.

Meteorologist Joel Gratz from OpenSnow provided insights into the upcoming weather, forecasting an additional four to eight inches of snow across many resorts. He acknowledged, however, that weather models have been challenging to interpret. “The incoming storm is giving me and all the models headaches,” Gratz commented. The exact placement of the storm system will determine where the heaviest snowfall occurs.

Loveland ski area, which received eight inches of new snow, currently has 20% of its trails open. A spokesperson announced that the Ptarmigan lift is set to open on Friday. Meanwhile, Copper Mountain recorded seven inches of snow and anticipates opening the Sierra chair on Friday, which will provide access to Timber Ridge and Lower Revenge. Currently, 32% of Copper’s trails are operational.

Keystone is preparing to open six trails on the Dercum face, four at North Peak, and two at the Outback, expanding skiable terrain by 228 acres. Breckenridge has also made progress, with trails on Peak 8’s front side now open, according to spokesperson Lee Nielsen. The snowmaking team is actively working to establish a solid base on Peak 10 and Peak 6 while maintaining existing trails.

Aspen Snowmass has reported up to 12 inches of new snow, resulting in over 60% of its terrain being open across all four mountains. This week, the resort opened Hero’s trail on Aspen Mountain and added new terrain off the Elk Camp lift and Sam’s Knob. Aspen Snowmass is also preparing to host the Toyota Grand Prix this week, where half-pipe and slopestyle athletes will compete for a chance to qualify for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics, now just 30 days away.

Getting ready for the event has required significant effort from snow crews, particularly due to challenging conditions at the season’s start. On Christmas Day, officials decided to relocate the slopestyle event from Buttermilk to Snowmass due to poor snow conditions. Crews began constructing a new course at Snowmass on New Year’s Day and completed it in just three days.

As resorts work to expand their offerings, the ski community remains hopeful for continued snowfall that will improve conditions and increase operational trails across Colorado.