23 resorts · 40 winters · 2026–27 outlook
Not on average: El Niño winters here have been about normal, good and bad mixed. El Niño winters have brought Colorado's resorts 2% more snow than a typical winter, and 2% more snow in the strongest El Niño winters.
Colorado sits in the middle of El Niño's tug-of-war. The southern mountains lean toward the southern storm track, while the northern and central resorts, the I-70 corridor and Steamboat included, show little consistent change. Most Colorado El Niño winters have been close to normal, good and bad mixed.
Of 23 resorts, 2 get more snow in most El Niño winters and 21 show no clear effect.
+15% snow in El Niño winters, +18% in strong ones. More snow.
+7% snow in El Niño winters, +8% in strong ones. More snow.
Snowfall in El Niño winters compared with each resort's 40-winter average (mid-mountain, Nov–Apr). The percentage is the average; the color says whether you can count on it.
| # | Resort | El Niñosnow vs. avg | La Niñasnow vs. avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CucharaCO | +15% | −16% |
| 2 | EldoraCO | +7% | −5% |
| 3 | PurgatoryCO | +7% | −4% |
| 4 | Wolf CreekCO | +6% | −4% |
| 5 | PowderhornCO | +5% | −3% |
| 6 | TellurideCO | +4% | −3% |
| 7 | MonarchCO | +4% | −3% |
| 8 | Winter ParkCO | +3% | −2% |
| 9 | A-BasinCO | +3% | −2% |
| 10 | KeystoneCO | +3% | −1% |
| 11 | LovelandCO | +3% | −2% |
| 12 | Ski GranbyCO | +1% | +1% |
| 13 | BreckenridgeCO | +0% | −0% |
| 14 | CopperCO | −0% | +0% |
| 15 | VailCO | −0% | +1% |
| 16 | Beaver CreekCO | −0% | +2% |
| 17 | Sunlight MountainCO | −2% | +2% |
| 18 | ButtermilkCO | −2% | +2% |
| 19 | SnowmassCO | −2% | +2% |
| 20 | Aspen HighlandsCO | −2% | +2% |
| 21 | Aspen MountainCO | −2% | +2% |
| 22 | Crested ButteCO | −2% | +2% |
| 23 | SteamboatCO | −5% | +5% |
2026–27 is shaping up as a strong El Niño. Here's how each Colorado resort did in the 4 strongest El Niño winters since 1986 (peak index +1.5°C or more), compared with its own average. A handful of winters, so read it as history, not a forecast.
| Resort | 1991–92 | 1997–98 | 2015–16 | 2023–24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuchara | +25% | +28% | +5% | +15% |
| Eldora | +2% | −6% | +19% | +15% |
| Purgatory | −5% | −3% | +11% | +2% |
| Wolf Creek | −1% | −9% | +16% | −3% |
| Powderhorn | −3% | +15% | +10% | −9% |
| Telluride | −1% | −1% | +8% | −1% |
| Monarch | −3% | +0% | +13% | +4% |
| Winter Park | −0% | −14% | +17% | +12% |
| A-Basin | −1% | −13% | +14% | +11% |
| Keystone | −2% | −12% | +14% | +11% |
| Loveland | −1% | −14% | +15% | +13% |
| Ski Granby | −3% | −16% | +19% | +9% |
| Breckenridge | −7% | −14% | +12% | +9% |
| Copper | −9% | −14% | +12% | +8% |
| Vail | −9% | −10% | +17% | +4% |
| Beaver Creek | −9% | −9% | +17% | +8% |
| Sunlight Mountain | −8% | +2% | +8% | −5% |
| Buttermilk | −17% | +5% | +7% | +5% |
| Snowmass | −15% | +3% | +7% | +6% |
| Aspen Highlands | −16% | +3% | +7% | +6% |
| Aspen Mountain | −17% | +3% | +8% | +6% |
| Crested Butte | −19% | −3% | +8% | +3% |
| Steamboat | −14% | −7% | +7% | +3% |
| Colorado average | −6% | −4% | +12% | +6% |
Every North American resort is on the El Niño map and full ranking, with how we measured it: 40 winters of ERA5-Land weather at each resort's mid-mountain elevation, tagged by NOAA's Oceanic Niño Index and checked against 89 SNOTEL snow stations.