Colorado's 25-26 ski season limps along as snowfall totals struggle.

Colorado

Colorado's 2025-26 ski season is experiencing difficulties as the state's snowpack remains at only 59 percent of the median, which not only affects Denver's water supply but also the ski industry. Local ski shops and major resorts have reported significant drops in sales, rentals, and visitor numbers, with Vail Resorts noting a 20 percent decrease in skier visits compared to the previous year.

Season and multi-mountain passes provide crucial early revenue for ski resorts, but the lack of snow has deterred many visitors, raising concerns for the industry's future if poor seasons continue. Resorts are increasingly turning to summer activities to offset losses, while small businesses and workers in the ski sector face heightened uncertainty.

Colorado's 2025-26 ski season limps along as snowfall totals struggle

Awful low snowpack. This is the latest map from the USDA. It shows our state snowpack at 59 percent of median and the snowpack makes up 80 to 90 percent of Denver's water reservoir. So not good. And it's been a tough going so far for skiers and snowboarders this season. You can say that again. Denver 7's Richard Butler explains how ski areas actually make their money and why so much of it comes in before the first snow falls and what a tough season could mean for next year. We're a family-owned ski shop. We've been in the Wheatridge area for about 50 years now. At Larson Ski and Sports in Wheatridge, it's been a slow start to the Colorado ski season and it's showing up on the sales floor. Across the board between service work, rental and retail, we are down. Manager Jack Marriott says sales are down about 20 to 30 percent of what they should be right now. Fewer people making trips to the mountains means fewer rentals, fewer sales and tougher decisions to make for next year. We're planning on buying a fewer skis and snowboards and boots and things like that for next year because fewer people are coming in to buy them. Ticket sales are incredibly important. We see that with season tickets which are really their money maker these days in terms of getting revenue on hand before the start of the season. MSU Denver Associate Professor of Sports Management Lincoln Davey has used his pass only once so far this season. He says the season and multi-mountain passes bring in money months before the snow falls, helping pay for staffing, making snow and infrastructure. It's a really good risk management plan on their part. The season passes bring people back to the mountain more than once, creating a vital revenue stream. Season pass holders are also more likely to spend money lodging or at restaurants. The ski economy here in Colorado is what, $4.8 billion. It's a huge industry. It's over 46,000 jobs. But lack of snow has created a problem. Pass sales may be locked in, but the lack of snow is deterring people from coming and resorts still need people to show up and spend. If you start seeing bad years stack up one after another and that becomes more of a consistent issue, that's where you start seeing a lot more challenges. Davey says resorts also try to make up lost revenue outside the ski season. There may be an emphasis on mountain biking, hiking or other summer activities. With snowfall being unpredictable, Davey says resorts are looking for ways to adapt and skiers with passes are hoping they can get their money's worth. The big question, whether skiers who bought passes but didn't use them much this year will come back. Who's actually impacted? It's that small business in Vail. The individual who's, you know, trying to make a livelihood in the ski industry, but their season's cut short. In Denver, Richard Butler, Denver 7. We're seeing this play out with some of the most popular resorts in the country. Vail Resorts released year-to-date metrics for their North American locations and they show a downward trend for this year. Compared to this time last year, total skier visits are down 20 percent, lift revenue down 1.8 percent, ski school revenue down 14.9 and dining revenue is now down 15.9 percent. The CEO blames historically bad snowfall in the entire western U.S., specifically here in the Rockies, for those lagging numbers.

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Adamuz

Investigators search for cause of deadly Spain train crash

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Rome

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Paris

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Washington

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Ottawa

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Brussels

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Nuuk

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Jerusalem

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Minneapolis

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Copenhagen

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Breakdown