Things are scary out there on April Fools’ Day, no joke.
This March was a monster disappointment in a season full of them. Here’s a look at snowfall totals from I-70 ski areas:
March 2026 snowfall totals
- Winter Park… 35 inches (172 in. season)
- Vail Mountain… 28 in. (153 in.)
- Loveland Ski Area… 28 in. (151 in.)
- Keystone Resort… 26 in. (132 in.)
- Breckenridge Resort… 25 in. (130 in.)
- Copper Mountain… 24 in. (141 in.)
- Beaver Creek… 20 in. (126 in.) *closed March 29
- Arapahoe Basin… unavailable at press time
For a little perspective, here are the March numbers from last year:
March 2025 snowfall totals
- Winter Park… 70 inches (329 in. season)
- Vail Mountain…50 in. (296 in.)
- Loveland Ski Area… 66 in. (273 in.)
- Keystone Resort… 45 in. (247 in.)
- Breckenridge Resort… 51 in. (288 in.)
- Copper Mountain… 52 in. (308 in.)
- Beave Creek… 35 in. (230 in.)
- Arapahoe Basin… 43 in. (229 in.)
There is really no comparison, but we will try anyway. March this year was just about equal to February for snowfall, and weaker than January and December. Pending a miracle December will go down as the “deepest” month of ski season with 41 inches at Copper. Last year, Copper claimed more than that in four of six months it was open, including 107 inches in November 2024.
Or how about this: On April 1 last year, Breckenridge was 12 inches away from 300 inches on the season. Copper was already over 300 inches. Just to reach 200 inches this season both would need more snow in a month than they have seen since late January.
Ski areas are hoping for a miracle to reach mid-April. Stranger things have happened, but not often. Keystone is closing two weeks early this Sunday, April 5. Arapahoe Basin moved its annual Festival of the Brewpubs from Memorial Day weekend to April 19. The Five Peaks ski mountaineering race at Breck is canceled. Breck still has not picked a closing date, with decent snow still lingering in the high alpine, but getting back to the base is a muddy mess. Vail Mountain today closed top-to-bottom skiing when rain washed out the snow into lower Lionshead.