Even as spring storms continue to bring snow to the high country, three Colorado ski areas plan to close for the season on Sunday: Copper Mountain, Loveland and Breckenridge.
That will leave Arapahoe Basin and Winter Park as the only ski areas in the state to be open for skiing.
Arapahoe Basin and Loveland are forecast to receive eight inches of snow over the next five days, while Winter Park and Breckenridge are expecting seven and Copper Mountain six.
“We’re currently sitting on a 68-inch base, which (aligns) with our average over the last seven years,” said A-Basin spokeswoman Shayna Silverman. “And we received more than a foot in the last week. After a few laps today, I can assure you it’s skiing great. Looking forward to seeing what else ‘May Basin’ brings us.”
Conditions are promising at Winter Park, too.
“Our snow is holding up really well, especially up high,” said spokeswoman Jen Miller. “We’ve had cold temperatures, so there hasn’t been as much melt-off as typical. We have 1,411 acres still open to ski, which is nearly half our total acreage. We have six lifts running, serving 72 named trails. We’ve been able to keep the gondola open, so guests can park and access Mary Jane from the Winter Park base area.”
Winter Park and Breckenridge are reporting mid-mountain snow depths of 76 inches — more than six feet — while Copper and Loveland are reporting base depths of 64-65 inches.
For backcountry skiers, nearly a foot of snow is forecast for Berthoud Pass and Jones Pass. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center rates the backcountry avalanche risk as moderate.
“Assess steep slopes where you find more than about eight inches of new or wind-drifted snow,” CAIC advises. “Cornices are growing quickly. Give ridgelines a wide berth, as cornices can break a long way back from the visible edge. Triggered cornices could produce larger avalanches on the slopes below.”
