Winter Park Resort Snow History

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Chris

Snowfall At Winter Park/Mary Jane

We have had an odd year of snowfall here in Winter Park, Colorado this 2011/2012 ski season but things are looking on the very bright side now, as this February been one snowy month. So far this year we have had 126″ of snow and that is low for this time of year. However, what a blessing this could turn to to be.

Winter Park and Mary Jane has averaged around 340″ of snow the past 11 years (during ski season). So what does this mean? Well, I’m reading the tea leaves with the idea that WP is in for some monster late winter and spring snowfalls. My prediction is that by the scheduled closing of WInter Park Resort on April 22 there will have been one 300″ of new snow at the Mary Jane snow station. That will be over 175″ of new snow in the next 10 weeks.

So look out! I’m saying we are going to have one of the best late winter anmd spring skiing seasons ever. We did all the snow dances, put the trail maps in the freezer and we are going to get the fluffy white snow falling all season long.

Here is snow history for last year and the ten years previous:

2010/11 SEASON
MONTH	SNOWFALL (INCHES)	PERCENT OF 10 YR. AVERAGE
October	18.0	246.4%
November	57.7	97.6%
December	51.1	82.8%
January	62.0	95.9%
February	58.6	101.8%
March	81.6	126.3%
April	59.0	156.9%
TOTAL	388.0	110.0%

And here are the previous 10 years of snowfall history at WInter PArk and Mary Jane:

PREVIOUS 10 SKI SEASONS

SNOWFALL (INCHES) / PERCENT OF 10 YR. AVERAGE
SEASON	OCT.	NOV.	DEC.	JAN.	FEB.	MARCH	APRIL	TOTAL
2000/1	3.0 / 58.9	76.2 / 120.1	82.1 / 135.8	45.4 / 66.9	65.5 / 114.6	57.3 / 84.8	32.5 / 85.3	362.0 / 100.5
2001/2	4.0 / 78.5	45.6 / 71.9	59.8 / 98.9	67.7 / 99.8	35.7 / 62.5	27.2 / 40.3	6.2 / 16.3	246.2 / 68.4
2002/3	28.2 / 553.3	71.6 / 112.9	52.0 / 86.0	37.6 / 55.4	68.1 / 119.2	114.2 / 169.0	39.0 / 102.4	410.7 / 114.1
2003/4	0 / 0	72.1 / 128.9	59.6 / 102.1	30.9 / 41.6	55.3 / 90.9	40.2 / 67.6	10.6 / 27.9	268.7 / 74.6
2004/5	18.0 / 365.8	48.2 / 75.6	38.3 / 63.4	47.5 / 71.3	43.1 / 75.5	68.1 / 102.2	29.5 / 79.4	292.7 / 82.0
2005/6	11.0 / 205.4	79.5 / 125.8	87.0 / 145.8	68.0 / 103.1	50.6 / 89.4	51.6 / 77.4	17.3 / 46.9	365.0 / 103.0
2006/7	42.0 / 758.3	28.2 / 44.2	54.1 / 89.3	28.2 / 42.7	69.6 / 123.4	46.7 / 70.6	33.7 / 93.0	302.5 / 85.3
2007/8	14.0 / 209.6	15.1 / 24.1	86.8 / 143.8	75.1 / 115.8	73.1 / 128.6	70.0 / 108.3	55.1 / 152.3	389.2 / 110.2
2008/9	7.0 / 101.4	34.6 / 56.5	93.2 / 152.4	73.5 / 112.8	59.3 / 103.4	41.2 / 62.7	70.0 / 190.5	378.8 / 107.0
2009/10	21.0 / 304.2	16.0 / 26.5	49.3 / 79.4	39.4 / 60.2	64.1 / 111.7	52.2 / 80.3	33.5 / 88.8	275.5 / 77.6
AVERAGES	14.8 / 121.5	48.7 / 118.5	66.2 / 77.2	51.3 / 120.8	58.4 / 100.3	56.9 / 143.5	32.7 / 180.2	329.1 / 117.9

So there is a silver lining to the slow snowfall start here in Winter Park: we will be getting a bunch of snow in the next two and a half months. Maybe some of the best ever spring skiing here in Winter Park, Colorado.

So make sure to get your Winter Park Spring Ski Lodging early and have some grate spring skiing fun.

Winter Park Resort Snow Report

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Chris

winter park snow report Snowfall in Winter Park, Colorado

Boy oh boy, have we had a great year for snow so far this year. This little La Niña weather pattern has been very nice to Winter Park and Mary Jane. Last year the Mary Jane side of the mountain didn’t open until December 24th. This year pretty much the entire mountain is open besides the runs served by the Eagle Wind lift are open over the entire resort.

Here is the snow report for today and the year:

NEW WINTER PARK RESORT SNOW (IN INCHES)
24 HRS	48 HRS	72 HRS	SEASON
2″	7″	8″	95.6″

That is almost 100 inches of snow and it’s not even mid-December. This is setting up to be one of the best snow years in a long while. It seems we are getting a new storm system coming through every two or three days. The La Nina SST pattern (strong) is here for the winter, through possibly the season following (through 2012). This usually means near to just above average snowfall for northern Colorado resorts and near to just below average snowfall for southern Colorado resorts.

Come on up to Winter Park and Mary Jane and ski the Colorado’s number one destination resort for snow. Let the Winter Park Lodging Company take care of all your lodging, Winter Park Resort lift tickets and ski/board rental needs.

You can also follow all the Winter Park, Colorado happenings at:

Winter Park Blog

Winter Park Lodging Blog

Winter Park Lodging Company Facebook Page

Let it snow, let snow, let it snow.

First Snow In Winter Park, CO

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Chris

First snow at Winter Park Resort Winter Park Resort’s First Measurable Snowfall

We have had our first snow at Winter Park Resort. On Monday, October 12th, there was lots of snow falling at the Winter Park Resort Base. Up at mid-mountain there was over 10 inches of some wet wet snow. Good snowfall this early should mean a good base for WInter Park Resort for opening day of ski season November 17th. The snowmaking guns are out this year already and will start making snow sometime this week. That is a week earlier than last year.

First snow was a little bit later than the last couple of years and that should mean a winter of great snow for Winter Park Resort. Last year first snow was September 21st for the start of a not so good El Niño year. In 2008/2009 first snow was September 10th in an OK snow year. This year the La Niña first snow was later than usual with an October 8th arrival. Hopefully, this portends a huge snow year for us here in Winter Park, CO.

The winner of the Winter Park Lodging Company’s first snow contest is, drumbeat, …….. DeAnn Munoz. Prize is dinner and drinks for DeAnn at either Deno’s or The Cheeky Monk in the Winter Park Village. Nice guessing, you were right on. Here is DeAnn’s guess with a little reasoning as to why she picked October 12th:

It snowed early last year but last Summer was atypical for Colorado and not very hot. This summer has been very warm and our heat index is pretty large this year. Therefore, I’m going to guess October 12th.

DeAnn was not guessing, she thought out the snow pattern and voila she had the correct first snow date. Nice work DeAnn. My guess was off by just short of a month with September 15th. Darn I never win anything.

Now that first snow is here lets get excited for the first day of ski season….. It could not come soon enough for me.

The above photo is from Winter Park Resort’s Facebook page.

Early Snow at Winter Park/Mary Jane Resorts?

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Chris

September snow Winter Park Colorado September Snow for Winter Park

The picture to the left was a snow storm last September 21, 2009. Are we in for an earlier storm this year? The forecast is looking like storms are lining up to dump a bunch of white fluffy very early this year.

Here is what snowforecast.com is saying about this coming week in Winter Park, CO:

Monday Sept 6th–FALL LIKE, POSSIBLE DUSTING OF SNOW ABOVE 9,000 FEET—> The Gulf of Alaska low pressure system weakens some as it moves east across the northern and central Rocky Mountains (Colorado is considered to be in the central Rocky Mountains). This system has more cold air, the jet stream is projected to be overhead, but with limited moisture across the area. Points along and north of the I-70 should see isolated showers and maybe a thunderstorm from this, along with a dusting of snow above 9,000 feet (dusting = less than 1/2 inch of snow).

Thursday Sept 9th–COOLER, WINDS INCREASE, CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW– -> The second low pressure system that was digging south across California moves eastward into Colorado and weakens, with cool showers and a chance for high elevation (roughly 9,000 feet+) snow again.

Oh boy, snow is on the way. Will we get hit or will it be just a dusting? The La Niña weather pattern that is developing for this winter should bring plenty of snow to this neck of the woods.

A La Nina SST pattern is here for the fall/ winter, through possibly the season following (through 2012). This usually bodes well for northern Colorado resorts including Steamboat Springs and Winter Park/Mary Jane Resorts.

Guess the day of the first snow and win dinner for two in Winter Park, CO from Winter Park Lodging Company.

Winter Park Colorado First Snow Contest

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Chris

first measurable snow in Winter Park CO First Snow in Winter Park, CO 2010/2011

The time has come again for the second annual First Snow in Winter Park, CO Contest. Lady Summer is on her way out of the building and our three weeks of fall will come and go and then we are left with six months of glorious glorious snowy winter.

Here is a comment from WP local Mr. Scott Hefel on Aug 24th, 2010:

Seasons are a changing, I could see my breath on my morning walk with (my dog) Sam. I actually started to get excited for snow.

So the contest is, guess the date that Winter Park Resort will receive the first measurable amount (more than a half inch) of snow and you will win dinner, drinks and desert for two at either Deno’s Mountain Bistro or The Cheeky Monk Belgium Beer Cafe in the Winter Park Village. Guesses can be put below in the comment section and need to be guessed at-least SEVEN DAYS before the date of the snow. One guess per person please.

Last years first snow at Winter Park Resort was on September 21st, yes less than one month away. There were two snow contest winners last year and each received a prize.

Last years first Winter Park snow contest had 74 guesses and we are hoping to beat that this year.

All-right here goes, get your snow dance on and lets start getting ready for some fluffy white stuff here in Winter Park, CO. I will be the first to guess below so make sure to not guess my date for you will be certain to have no chance of winning if you do, I will definitely be wrong.

How Much Snow for Winter Park Resort 2009/2010 Ski Season?

Posted on March 13, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park Colorado snow totals Winter Park Resort Snow Total Contest

How much snow will Winter Park Resort receive for the 2009/2010 ski season ending on April 19th, 2010? That is the question that we skiers ponder up here in Winter Park, Colorado. Kinda of like mulling over the lint in your belly button but much more fun. We here at Winter Park Lodging Company thought we could make this snow forecasting bit more fun if we had a contest. So here is the contest:

Guess how much snow Winter Park Resort will receive by April 18th, 2010, as reported on the Winter Park Resort website, for a chance to win dinner and drinks for two at one of our fine restaurants here in WP. Use the comment section below for your official entry and all guesses need to be in by April 5th. He/She that is closest to the snow total wins. We will post a winner by April 20, 2010 on this blog.

We had a slow snow start to this ski season but the ski gods have been pretty kind to us the last month or so with a couple of doozy storms that dropped as much as 16″ of fluffy white on our beloved Winter Park. A couple of these storms also sent avalanches crashing down on US Highway 40 to give us Winter park folk the better part of the day to enjoy Mary Jane/Winter Park by ourselves (and those fortunate enough to already be here).

The snow report and total for today March13th, 2010 look like this:

Last Updated:

3/13/2010 8:54 AM

New Winter Park Resort Snow (In Inches)
24 hrs	48 hrs	72 hrs	Season
0″	1.5″	8″	227.9″

Winter Park Resort averages 350″ inches of snow per year so we should be getting some big storms the rest of March and April this year. Here is some historical info on snow totals at Winter Park Resort for the last year and the ten previous years:

Winter Park/Mary Jane 2008 – 2009 Ski Season
Month	Snowfall (inches)	Percent of 30 yr. average
October	7	101%
November	34.6	56%
December	93.2	152%
January	73.5	113%
February	59.3	103%
March	41.2	63%
April	70	190%
Total	378.8	107%

Winter Park Resort Snowfall (inches) / Percent of 30 yr. average
Season	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb.	March	April	Total
2007-2008	14.0 / 105	15.1 / 31	86.8 / 142	75.1 / 127	73.1 / 125	70.0 / 122	55.1 / 122	389.2 / 118.8
2006-2007	42.0 / 609	28.2 / 46	54.1 / 88	28.2 / 43	69.6 / 121	46.7 / 71	33.7 / 92	302.5 / 85.4
2005-2006	11.0 / 159	79.5 / 130	87.0 / 142	68.0 / 104	50.6 / 88	51.6 / 79	17.3 / 47	365.0 / 103.0
2004-2005	18.0 / 261	48.2 / 79	38.3 / 63	47.5 / 73	43.1 / 75	68.1 / 104	29.5 / 80	292.7 / 89.3
2003-2004	0 / 0	72.1 / 118	59.6 / 97	30.9 / 47	55.3 / 96	40.2 / 61	10.6 / 29	268.7 / 75.8
2002-2003	28.2 / 409	71.6 / 117	52.0 / 85	37.6 / 58	68.1 / 119	114.2 / 174	39.0 / 106	410.7 / 115.9
2001-2002	4.0 / 58	45.6 / 75	59.8 / 98	67.7 / 104	35.7 / 62	27.2 / 41	6.2 / 17	246.2 / 69.5
2000-2001	3.0 / 43	76.2 / 125	82.1 / 134	45.4 / 70	65.5 / 114	57.3 / 87	32.5 / 88	362 / 102.2
1999-2000	7.0 / 101	16.5 / 27	65.1 / 106	93.8 / 144	67.0 / 117	56.1 / 85	35.5 / 97	341.0 / 126.9
1998-1999	6.0 / 87	32.5 / 53	27.8 / 45	98.8 / 152	55.3 / 96	43.8 / 67	35.3 / 96	299.4 / 72.9
Averages	13.3 / 183	48.6 / 80	61.2 / 100	59.3 / 92	58.3 / 101	57.5 / 89	29.5 / 77	327.7 / 96.0

Plenty of info to base your guesses on but please research away. I will put my guess in first and may the best man win. We all actually win with the more snow we get though!

Over Two Feet of New Snow in Winter Park

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Chris

Powder at Winter Park Resort CO New Snow at Winter Park/Mary Jane Resorts Colorado

Snow snow and more snow in Winter Park. That’s right we have been getting crushed with snow here in Winter Park. 27 inches is the total in the last week with more on the way. Here are our snow totals for the last few days and for the year as of Feb 23, 2010:

New Snow Winter Park Resort (In Inches)
24 hrs	48 hrs	72 hrs	Season
1.0″	7.5″	14.5″	180.8″

Winter Park/Mary Jane averages around 350 inches for the year so we can expect to just get blasted the next eight weeks that the resort is open. Here is what our friends over at SnowForecast.com are calling for for the next month or so here in Winter Park:

–We may see lingering snow flurries next Monday, mixed with sun and clouds, then next Tuesday high pressure ridging is possible. Mid next week (3rd of March) begins a series of storms, some moving more southerly, some northerly, but frequent, for frequent light to moderate or even heavy snow. This unsettled pattern over the west should keep the slopes fresh through mid March at least. The rest of March and most of April still look potentially snowy.

Snow in December, January and the first part of February was below average with most of the Colorado storms hitting the resorts located in the southern part of the state. It looks as though that these storms should start taking a more northern route and it is looking really good for Mary Jane and Winter Park.

March and April are by far the best months to ski in Colorado. The weather is a little warmer, the snow a little deeper and the beers taste a little better.

Spring Skiing in the Colorado Rockies – heaven on earth!

Snow in Winter Park, Colorado

Posted on February 13, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park fresh powder Snowing in Winter Park, CO

The white stuff is falling here in Winter Park. Supposed to get 5 to 6 inches of snow from this storm and a couple more each day the rest of this week. So far this year has been a feast or famine year with snow but most forecasters are calling for late February, March and April to be way above avareage. Here is the snow report as of Feb 12, 2010:

New Winter Park Resort Snow (In Inches)
24 hrs	48 hrs	72 hrs	Season
2.5″	6.5″	8.5″	147.7″

And as I sit here the snow has been dumping at a furious pace all day. I would not be surprised if there was 10 inches of fresh powder by tomorrow morning. Now is the time to head up to Winter Park Resort to get your fresh helping of freshies. If you want some real deep stuff take a trip with Powder Addiction, our snow cat professionals up here in Winter Park.

Compare Winter Park’s snowfall with that of other resorts in the area. What will you find? We get more snow than anyone in the Colorado area. That’s great news for your ski and snowboard vacation!

Here is the long range forecast for Winter Park from our friends at SnowForecast.com:

–Strong Pacific storms start pushing into the west coast, and moisture feeds into Colorado, around the 21st/ 22nd of Feb. Storms should be a bit more favorable for northern regions at this time. We will watch and see how this unfolds. March and April still look like potentially snowy months.

As I finish this blog post the snow is now really really coming down and I say LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW! Winter Park Style.

Winter Park- Lots of Snow and Ready to Go!

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Chris

images One of our inside sources (who also happens to be a snowmaker at the ski area), has good news for all of us chomping at the bit for the lifts to open. Last weeks huge storm and more snow forecasted for this week has helped create a substantial base – at least twice as much now compared to this time last year- in the highcountry. This early season accumulation has aided the snowmaking crews in mixing the natural with the man made white stuff. Another bonus is that they’re now making snow on 50% more trails than this time last year. If this keeps up (and we hope it does!), we can look forward to a stellar opening day.

We heard a little something about the possibility of cloud seeding this year in WP. We recently learned that it is official. Denver Water and Winter Park Resort are teaming up to help clouds produce greater amounts of snowfall for the 09′-10′ ski season. So get your flight, book your lodging with Winter Park Lodging Company, and come join us for an Epic Season!

It’s Snowing in Winter Park, Colorado!

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Chris

Enough already with the it’s snowing in Winter Park blog posts, huh! Well it keeps on snowing. Isn’t it supposed to snow in a place named Winter Park? Well, yes it is and we are on our third day of snow. Let it keep on coming.

The picture to the left was taken yesterday, September 23rd, after pretty much snowing the entire day. The weather keeps up like this and we will be having a true epic year of skiing and boarding up here in the Colorado Rockies.

56 days until Winter Park Resort is open.