01 — 2026–27 opening days
Every resort, in the order it opens
The opening season, 2026
- 28 OctArapahoe Basin
- 30 OctKeystone
- 6 NovBreckenridge · Copper Mountain
- 13 NovVail
- 25 NovBeaver Creek
- 26 NovThanksgiving
| Resort | Opening day | Status | What the operator says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arapahoe BasinIkon Pass · ≈ 40 min from Main St | Wed 28 October 2026 | Open now | First major area in North America to open this season, and its 80th. One lift (Black Mountain Express) to one run (High Noon) on day one. Birthday weekend celebration 6–7 December. |
| KeystoneEpic Pass · ≈ 30 min from Main St | Fri 30 October 2026 | Date announced | Announced 28 October. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon via the River Run Gondola and Montezuma Express. Uphill access stays closed early season. |
| BreckenridgeEpic Pass · you are here | Fri 6 November 2026 | Date announced | Vail Resorts date, announced 18 August. The resort has opened on lower Peak 8 in recent seasons — last year on a single trail, Springmeier — then added Peak 9 and beyond as snow allowed. The 2026 opening terrain has not been published. |
| Copper MountainIkon Pass · ≈ 25 min from Main St | Fri 6 November 2026 | Date announced | Announced 8 September, the same day as Breckenridge again. Conditions permitting. |
| VailEpic Pass · ≈ 45 min from Main St | Fri 13 November 2026 | Date announced | Vail Resorts date, announced 18 August. Subject to weather and conditions. |
| Beaver CreekEpic Pass · ≈ 1 hr from Main St | Wed 25 November 2026 | Date announced | Vail Resorts date, announced 18 August — the day before Thanksgiving. |
| LovelandOwn pass · ≈ 45 min from Main St | As soon as possible | No date yet | No date. Loveland opens when it can run a top-to-bottom trail, usually late October to early November (last season: 8 November 2025). |
| Winter ParkIkon Pass · ≈ 1 hr 45 min from Main St | As soon as possible | No date yet | No date. The resort says it will open as soon as conditions allow. New this season: 8 a.m. weekend starts from December. |
Every announced date is weather permitting. If you are booking around one, book a stay that works even if the opening slips a week — or call us and we will tell you what the snowmaking crews are seeing.
Live conditions
Tracking El Niño
Everything below is measured, not forecast prose — and everything carries the time it was taken. The Breckenridge opening-week forecast fills in here automatically as each day enters the National Weather Service window.
Right now across the three valleysas of Thu, 9:53 PM MDT
Breckenridge, CO
32°
Clear
measured at Copper Mountain - Red Cliff Pass
Keystone, CO
32°
Clear
measured at Copper Mountain - Red Cliff Pass
Fairplay / Park County, CO
28°
Clear
measured at Leadville, Lake County Airport
Today’s snow line is 8,268 ft, and snow is expected in the next three days — precipitation above that altitude falls as snow. Breckenridge town sits at 9,600 ft; the Peak 8 base at 10,040 ft.
The next seven days in Breckenridgeas of Thu, 9:53 PM MDT
Fri 30
52°
Partly Sunny
13%
Sat 31
50°
Slight Chance Snow Showers then Chance Rain Showers
33%
Sun 1
47°
Rain And Snow Showers
89%
Mon 2
42°
Snow Showers
91%
Tue 3
43°
Slight Chance Snow Showers
15%
Wed 4
45°
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Snow Showers
15%
Thu 5
46°
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Snow Showers
17%
This is the full extent of what the National Weather Service publishes — about seven days, daytime periods. Source: NWS Boulder.
Opening fortnight, 2 – 15 November
Live forecast appears here as each day comes into range.
Mon 2
42°
Snow Showers
91%
Tue 3
43°
Slight Chance Snow Showers
15%
Wed 4
45°
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Snow Showers
15%
Thu 5
46°
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Snow Showers
17%
Fri 6
forecast pending
Breckenridge & Copper open
Sat 7
forecast pending
Sun 8
forecast pending
Mon 9
forecast pending
Tue 10
forecast pending
Wed 11
forecast pending
Thu 12
forecast pending
Fri 13
forecast pending
Vail opens
Sat 14
forecast pending
Sun 15
forecast pending
4 of 14 days are inside the seven-day National Weather Service window. The rest are genuinely not known yet and fill in one day at a time. Source: NWS Boulder.
The driveCDOT, live
3 - dry
3 - dry
3 - dry
3 - dry
3 - dry
3 - dry
I-70 west from Denver is the usual route; US 285 over Kenosha Pass is the alternate and the way in to the Park County cabins. Both are posted here because on a holiday weekend the choice between them is worth making on evidence. A segment showing no report means CDOT returned nothing for it — that is not the same as clear. Source: CDOT COtrip.
A very strong El Niño is building
The Pacific number every ski town is watching this winter: +2.16°C.
+2.16°C
Very strong El Niño
July–September 2026
Oceanic Niño Index, last 10 overlapping seasons. Shaded band is the ENSO-neutral range.
NOAA declares an episode after 5 consecutive seasons past ±0.5°C. This run is at 4 of 5 — not yet an episode. The index moved up 0.36°C from the previous season.
What that does not tell you is how much snow will fall on Breckenridge. The El Niño signal over Colorado is weak and splits north to south — it favours the San Juans, and Summit County sits close to the dividing line. We publish the index because it is the real number everyone here is watching, not because it predicts your ski week. NOAA’s own seasonal discussion is at CPC ENSO Diagnostic Discussion.
Conditions and forecast: NOAA National Weather Service, Boulder. Roads: Colorado DOT COtrip. Seasonal index: NOAA Climate Prediction Center. All three are public-domain US government sources, refreshed automatically — no figure on this panel is typed in by hand.
02 — Book the opening
Opening weekend and Thanksgiving, priced
Real totals for real dates, nearest the lifts first. Opening weekend is Friday to Monday because most of our homes have a three-night minimum.
Opening weekendNov 6–9, 2026$6,310.54ThanksgivingNov 25–29, 2026Not available
Opening weekendNov 6–9, 2026$3,135.87ThanksgivingNov 25–29, 2026Not available
Opening weekendNov 6–9, 2026$1,477.40ThanksgivingNov 25–29, 2026Not available
Opening weekendNov 6–9, 2026$6,834.90ThanksgivingNov 25–29, 2026Not available
Totals for 4 guests with taxes and fees included — the same total checkout charges for those dates, booked direct. Prices checked Oct 29, 2026. Tap a price to open the residence with those dates filled in.
Every Breckenridge residence03 — Opening day, honestly
What opening day actually looks like
Expect a few runs, not a mountain
Opening day in Summit County is groomed runs built on snowmaking, usually green and blue. Breckenridge opened on a single trail last season. If your trip depends on bowls, trees or the high alpine, plan for mid-December or later.
Lift lines are real on day one
The first weekend draws the Front Range. Weekdays after the opening are noticeably quieter, and the terrain is the same.
Wake Up Breck
Breckenridge traditionally marks the evening before opening day with Wake Up Breck, a free community celebration in town. The 2026 date and programme have not been published; we will add them when they are.
Two passes cover almost everything
Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail and Beaver Creek are on the Epic Pass. Copper, Arapahoe Basin and Winter Park are on Ikon. Loveland sells its own.
Live now · Gilson TV
Watch Main Street on opening day
Our Gilson TV camera looks down South Main Street around the clock. See the first snow on the sidewalks and the opening-weekend crowd before you drive up.
04 — FAQ
Questions, answered
When does Breckenridge open for the 2026-27 ski season?+
Friday 6 November 2026, the date Vail Resorts announced on 18 August 2026. It is a planned date and can move with the weather.
Is Breckenridge opening day 6 November or 8 November?+
The operator’s announced date is Friday 6 November 2026. Some guides print 7 or 8 November; those are third-party projections or errors, not the resort’s date.
Which ski resort near Breckenridge opens first?+
Arapahoe Basin, which opened on Wednesday 28 October 2026. Keystone has set Friday 30 October. Both are within about 40 minutes of Breckenridge.
How much terrain is open on opening day?+
Very little, by design: a handful of groomed runs on man-made snow. More terrain opens through November and December as natural snow builds.
When do the resorts close in spring 2027?+
None of them has published a 2027 closing date yet. We will add them when they do rather than print projections.
Can I ski Thanksgiving week in Breckenridge?+
Yes, if the 6 November opening holds. Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November 2026; by then Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper, A-Basin, Vail and Beaver Creek are all scheduled to be open.
05 — Sources & updates
Vail Resorts 2026/27 opening-dates release (18 August 2026) for Breckenridge, Keystone’s plan, Vail and Beaver Creek; Copper Mountain’s 8 September announcement and its trail report; Keystone’s 28 October opening announcement as reported by Fox21 News; Arapahoe Basin opening coverage of 28 October (Denver Gazette, Denver7, POWDER); Loveland’s hours-of-operation page; Winter Park’s published plan to open as soon as possible. Drive times are rounded clear-road estimates from Main Street and are ours. Rechecked 28 October 2026.
Josh Burton
Founder, Gilson Property Group
We run Gilson Property Group from 224 South Main Street, a few minutes from the Peak 8 lifts. We recheck this page as each resort moves from announced to open, and we will not print a date an operator has not published.
Enquire
First chair, without the drive.
Tell us when you want to ski and who is coming. We will match you to a residence in town and tell you honestly how much of the mountain is likely to be open that week.