SILVERTHORNE, Colo. — Winter is arriving a little late this year as ski resorts wait for snow to kick off the 2021 season. As Denver sets a record for latest first snowfall, the mountains are seeing little snow as well.
"There's not much snow," said Josh Lahey, who hit the slopes for the first time this season at Breckenridge on Sunday. "There were only like one or two runs, so kind of packed."
Fewer than 10 ski resorts are open in Colorado as the season starts with warm weather. Some mountains are pushing back their start dates due to a lack of snow.
"We're definitely under average, but it only takes one storm," said Joel Gratz, CEO and founding meteorologist for the ski forecasting website Open Snow. "Averages are a little misleading this early in the season."
According to snow predictors at Open Snow, there is not much wintry weather in store for the rest of November. However, December might bring some snowy presents.
"Potentially, if we all do our snow dances and put our trail maps in the freezer, it looks like it might get stormy during the first few days of December," Gratz said. "Early season is just a bonus. If we have more snow, great. If we don't, that's OK."