Colorado Resort Counts Down to Snowmaking Start As Super El Niño Looms
Colorado Resort Counts Down to Snowmaking Start As Super El Niño Looms
Published : 29-Jun-2026 09:55
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 Niño 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 Niño 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 Niño 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 Niño consequence when the storm track shifts south.
Join the conversation : Discuss this in the J2Ski Forum
This news item has been viewed 90 times.
Also on J2Ski :- Sierra Nevada Snow Forecast Ski Hotels Ski Hire Ski Holidays