Colorado will see two distinct rounds of snow this week.
The first wave arrives Tuesday evening and peaks Wednesday (March 31-April 1, 2026), with the San Juans and central mountains doing the best work. Early snow comes in warm and dense with snow levels mostly 8500 to 10500 feet, so upper-mountain terrain does best first. Wolf Creek is the clear volume leader, while Telluride, Snowmass, and Crested Butte all get meaningful resets.
A colder second shot follows Thursday night into Friday, shifting the better skiing north into Steamboat and the central mountains. Snow levels fall fast, winds stay breezy but mostly manageable, and snow quality improves from heavy Wednesday snow to more moderate and fluffy snow by Friday.
Confidence is highest from Tuesday night through Friday afternoon. Read below for a resort breakdown and storm timing.
Colorado Ski Resort Snowfall Totals: March 31-April 4, 2026
- Copper Mountain: 6-8 inches
- Winter Park: 6-8 inches
- Arapahoe Basin: 7-10 inches
- Loveland: 7-10 inches
- Vail: 9-13 inches
- Crested Butte: 11-15 inches
- Telluride: 13-18 inches
- Steamboat: 12-19 inches
- Aspen Snowmass: 13-19 inches
- Wolf Creek: 22-29 inches
WeatherBell/Powderchasers
Storm Timing and Discussion
The guidance converges well on the first push of snow breaking out across the San Juans late Tuesday, spreading into the Elk Mountains and central corridor overnight, then reaching Steamboat around daybreak Wednesday. Timing agreement is solid, but intensity still spreads out farther south, with Wolf Creek and Telluride carrying the widest range of outcomes.
Snow levels also show good agreement on a high start, generally 8500 to 10500 feet, so Wednesday morning snow is dense to heavy before colder air gradually improves quality. Wolf Creek is the clear leader with 22-29 inches by Friday, while Telluride is in line for 13-18 inches, and Snowmass is in line for 13-19 inches.
The second wave is smaller but colder, and the guidance lines up better on a Thursday night into Friday refresh for Steamboat, Vail, and the northern half of the I-70 corridor. There is stronger convergence on falling snow levels, with most solutions dropping them into roughly the 3000 to 7000 foot range, and that supports drier snow quality by Friday. Intensity spreads out more on the southern edge of the storm, so the San Juans look more like a top-up than a second major cycle, while Steamboat stands out for 12-19 inches in the full Tuesday night through Friday period, and Vail lands in the 9-13 inch range. Winds stay breezy with gusts often reaching 30 to 40 mph on exposed ridges, so sheltered terrain should ski best, and Monarch and Beaver Creek are off the chase board because they are closed.
Daily Chase Recommendations
Each day’s snowfall range combines the previous night (4 p.m.-8 a.m.) and that day (8 a.m.-4 p.m.).
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Weatherbell/Powdechasers
Wolf Creek is the Wednesday volume play with 18-23 inches, but expect dense to heavy snow and some wind on exposed terrain.
Telluride gets 8-11 inches on Wednesday, with heavy snow early and better quality later, though sheltered terrain should ski best.
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Weatherbell/Powderchasers
Wolf Creek picks up another 3-5 inches on Thursday atop Wednesday’s deep reset, and the snow turns lighter even if gusty ridgelines keep quality short of perfect.
Snowmass adds 2-3 inches on Thursday, and the moderate-density top-up, combined with lighter winds, should help keep soft snow better preserved than many other options.
Friday, April 3, 2026
Weatherbell/Powderchasers
Steamboat is the top Friday chase with 8-12 inches of fluffier snow, though exposed ridges will still feel gusty.
Snowmass brings 5-8 inches on Friday with drier snow than Wednesday and enough carryover base to keep conditions soft across the mountain.
Extended Outlook
From Saturday through Monday, Colorado trends quieter and warmer under weak ridging, which should slow the storm cycle and push snow levels back up. The broader pattern still leans warmer than normal into next week, but there are hints that moisture may try to return after that, especially for southern Colorado. Any later refresh looks less organized and less certain than the two waves from Tuesday night through Friday.
Related: We’re Heading To Grand Targhee This Week To Test 44 of Next Year’s Skis
