Winter Park ResortSnowmaking More Vital than Ever

Winter Park Resort and Colorado's tourism economy is reliant on consistent and abundant snow fall. The 2025-26 winter season was challenging and impacted guest behavior and overall skier visits all season long. Two seasons ago Winter Park completed a $37 million snowmaking upgrade, which helped us build our base and salvage a season with historically low snowfall. Even with the snowmaking upgrade however, warm temperatures in the fall made it hard for us to make snow consistently, which delayed opening terrain across the whole mountain. Warm temperatures in the spring accelerated melting and ultimately cut our season short. The result was fewer skier visits and less revenue. Winter Park wasn't alone in experiencing a down year. Colorado's ski industry reported a nearly 20 percent drop in skier visits for the 2025-26 season.

Winter Park Resort sits at the headwaters of the Fraser River, which feeds into the Colorado River only about 20 miles downstream. Less snow on our slopes means less water in the rivers, which impacts far more than people's vacations. Our snowmaking upgrade included a retention pond and more efficient water pipes and guns. We can more efficiently put snow on the ground if it's not falling from the sky, but we still have limits. Future seasons rely on snowmelt to replenish the pond and the rivers downslope in the spring. The more snow we can put on the hill in the fall, the better we are in the spring.

We will continue to invest in our snowmaking system, and work with the State on the weather modification program. And we will continue to advocate and support the work of water conservationists and preservations.