Colorado’s mountain towns are off to an awfully slow start to the winter season.
The most recent Colorado Snotel Report shows that most places in Colorado's high country have struggled to produce more than a couple inches of snow as we approach Thanksgiving. Denver has yet to see any measurable flakes, now more than a month after its average first snowfall date.
The lack of winter weather is getting the attention of leaders in mountain towns, but it doesn’t have them worried.
“We’re eagerly hoping for some big storms here in Breckenridge,” Kerry O’Connor, public relations manager for Breck’s tourism office, said. “It’s been a slow start to the winter season in terms of accumulation, but it is not the first time we’ve had late snowfall. It’s not entirely uncommon to have a slower start to winter, but because of our high elevation in Breckenridge — 9,600 feet — we’re lucky to have one of the longest ski seasons in the state.”
The town shared lodging data with Denver7, showing bookings in town for Thanksgiving are similar this year to what they were in 2024, something O’Connor said even she was a bit surprised to see.
Bookings for Christmas are currently up 3.7% compared to this time last year.
It’s a trend across the greater Mountain West.
“Thanksgiving – now right in front of us – is looking stronger than it has in a few years,” Tom Foley from Inntopia, a resort lodging software service, said. “[It’s] not normally a holiday resorts hang their hat on, it’s nice to see the very early season kick off with a bit of a bang. And that momentum is carrying well into December, when suppliers get a chance to flex their revenue muscle.”
Denver7 spoke with a few businesses who don’t share the same sentiment. They said the dry start has had a noticeable effect on how many people they’re servicing.
“It’s definitely slower,” Michael Walsh, owner of Ski Doc — a mobile ski and snowboard tuning service based in Summit County — said. “For the house calls—going to people’s homes—people being excited to go to the slopes—it’s definitely been a bit of a slow start for sure. I mean, just driving around in the county is definitely slower. It kind of feels like mud season extended.”
Foley added while the start of the season is worth noting, it is not indicative of how the rest of the season will play out.
“[This] represents the tip of the spear,” Foley said. “It can go either way, depending on Mother Nature’s mood. Snowmaking and natural snowfall during November will trigger the ramp up to full booking pace, and some backyard snow – the kind skier see out their window – would also go a long way to kicking things off.”
