A number of Colorado ski resorts have faced an unusually slow start to their 2025-26 winter season.
What's happening?
As Fox 31 reported, an abundance of warm weather in Colorado has resulted in less-than-ideal conditions for many ski resorts in the state. This has triggered delayed openings for prominent resorts, such as Beaver Creek Resort and Telluride Mountain Village, and increased reliance on snowmaking machines.
Beaver Creek Resort was forced to delay its 2025 opening by a few days due to a lack of natural snow. Located just over 100 miles west of Denver, Beaver Creek has received just over 30 inches of snowfall to start the season. On average, the popular resort sees around 323 inches of snow a year.
"With mild temps lingering longer than usual at lower elevations, we're giving winter a little extra time to ensure we open with the quality experience guests expect of the resort and delaying our Opening Day until we can guarantee those conditions," Beaver Creek said in a press release made available to Fox 31.
Why are delayed openings at ski resorts important?
Without natural snowfall, many resorts are forced to adjust to unseasonably warm temperatures as winter sports enthusiasts look to hit the slopes. This includes turning to snowmaking machines to supply the flakes. However, these machines can often consume massive amounts of energy while also diverting water from wildlife habitats.
To make matters worse, resorts often rely on cooler temperatures to operate snowmaking machines. Telluride cited uncooperative weather as the exact reason for its delayed opening.
"Despite significant effort from the resort's mountain operations team, minimal natural snowfall and temperatures above the ideal range for snowmaking have made it impossible to open terrain safely and sustainably by the originally scheduled date," Telluride wrote in a press release in mid-November.
Rising global temperatures have played a major role in intensifying regional climate patterns, leading to more extreme and unpredictable weather, such as intense heat waves, severe droughts, and stronger storms.
What's being done about rising global temperatures?
In an effort to work toward a cooler future, many governments are implementing proactive policies to tackle rising global temperatures. These policies primarily focus on drastically reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and promoting the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power to reduce carbon pollution.
At home, turning to solar can be one of the best ways to make your home more resilient to changing climate conditions, especially when paired with battery storage. Not only can you save money on your utility bills and protect yourself against rising energy prices, but you can also do your part to reduce carbon pollution.
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