As a whole, Colorado’s snowpack has inched above the record-low, now at about 57 percent of the norm for the date at the statewide level and with a snow-water equivalent (SWE) of 3.6 inches – about 0.2 inches above the all-time low, set in 2000 (records go back to 1987). That said, two key river basins remain at record lows, and each are home to some of the state’s most popular ski areas.

The region with the least snowpack between the two record-setting spots is the Colorado Headwaters River Basin – home to Aspen, Breckenridge, Vail, Copper Mountain, and Winter Park. In this river basin, the snow water equivalent is at 3.4 inches, below the previous December 31 record of 3.6.

Meanwhile, the Yampa-White-Little Snake River Basin, home to Steamboat Springs, has more snowpack than the Colorado Headwaters area at a snow water equivalent of 5.2 inches, but the gap between that snowpack and the previous record low for the date is larger – in 2018, all-time-low snowpack hit at 5.7 SWE inches.

It’s worth noting that while these record lows may be a bit discouraging for skiers and snowboarders, these numbers apply to large swaths of land. Powder stashes may still be found, and some areas within these river basins may be having a better year than other areas thus far. The snow report on the website for the ski area you’re looking to visit will provide the best insight into what conditions are like in that specific part of the state.

Here’s a breakdown of how much snow the aforementioned resorts have gotten thus far this year, as of December 31:

• Aspen (Snowmass): Total snowfall not published; 25-inch base depth

• Breckenridge: 46 inches; 18-inch base depth

• Copper Mountain: 55 inches; 20-inch base depth

• Steamboat Springs: 51 inches; 18-inch base depth

• Vail: 52 inches; 28-inch base depth

• Winter Park: 68 inches; 22-inch base depth

The current outlook shows that not much of a turnaround is expected over the next few weeks, too, with the National Weather Service calling for warmer-than-normal temperatures around much of the state into mid-January (at least). In the shorter term, however, some snow is expected in these impacted regions over upcoming days – Steamboat Resort could get about 13 inches over the next five, per an OpenSnow report. While the double-digit totals for that spot will be great, the river basin will likely be left with a long way to climb to get back to seasonal norms.

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