The early winter snowfall across Colorado could set the tone for out-of-state bookings to our ski resorts for the rest of the season, as the Northeastern United States experiences a dry winter.
So far, Winter Park has registered a total of 106" of snow since early November and, if El Niño continues to live up to meteorologists' expectations, more snow could be coming our way, bringing not only white powder but some green as well.
“For this time of year, we are 120% above the average. There’s really nothing that makes people – especially in Colorado – smile more than snow this time of year,” said Winter Park resorts communications director Steve Hurlbert.
At Song Mountain in upstate New York, it looks more like mid-summer than mid-December. The East Coast's misfortune is certainly Colorado's gain.
"This is great. This is awesome. Obviously, you can tell the kids are having a great time," said Carrie Monfrief, whose family is visiting from Houston.
"[Out-of-state people] will see this snow and they'll think, 'you know what -- I have to get out there,' and they'll book a Spring Break trip," Hurlbert said.
Winter Park has 903 acres of terrain open, compared to 587 from last year this time of year. It's the same story at resorts statewide: Steamboat had 11 inches yesterday and Keystone has had its snowiest start to the ski season since 2005.
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