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Crested Butte ski resort
Epic PassView resorts
Tier C — ENSO-proof

📷 Crested Butte

North America

Crested Butte

Closed for the season

Season ended April 5, 2026 · reopens November 25, 2026

Conditions data updated Fri, Aug 28, 09:01 AM UTC · informational only

Closed for the season — closed April 5

Weather data is still collected for informational purposes.

Last Snowfall

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Past 24 Hours

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Past 48 Hours

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Past 10 Days

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14-Day Forecast

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Snow Depth

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🎿

Powder Days

3

2026–27 season

Updated: Aug 28, 9:01 AM•Weather at base: 2856m

Overview

Crested Butte is a ski resort in North America, United States, currently closed for the season (Season ended April 5, 2026 · reopens November 25, 2026). Conditions last updated 2026-08-28 09:01 UTC.

Resort Guide

Crested Butte Mountain Resort is located in southwestern Colorado and is renowned for its authentic mountain town atmosphere and diverse terrain. The resort features over 1,500 skiable acres, including challenging extreme terrain and groomed runs suitable for all abilities. Guests enjoy a vibrant base area with dining, lodging, and family-friendly amenities, while the surrounding Elk Mountains provide a scenic backdrop and opportunities for unique alpine experiences. Crested Butte stands out for its welcoming community, historic charm, and reputation as the “last great Colorado ski town.”

Resort Info

Summit3707m
Base2856m
Vertical851m
Lifts15
Runs121
Skiable Area1547 acres
Average snowfall236 inches / 599 cm
CountryUnited States
Visit Resort Website →Follow on Instagram →View Trail Map →

Season dates

Season endedApril 5, 2026 · reopens November 25, 2026
Projected openingNovember 25, 2026

Ski passes

Epic Pass

Epic Pass

View resorts →

Access tiers change by season — confirm benefits on the pass operator's site.

Top Après Ski

The Eldo – A legendary local bar in downtown Crested Butte, The Eldo is celebrated for its lively après-ski scene, featuring craft beers brewed on-site, live music, and a welcoming rooftop deck with mountain views that draw both skiers and locals alike.

Snow Summary

3707mECMWF Model

Updated Aug 28, 2026 at 9:01 AM

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24h
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Past 10d
14-Day Forecast
0
Prev10d
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Now28
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S29
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S30
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M31
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T1
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T3
Past
Today
Forecast

Snowfall Forecast Maps

Rockies & Southwest region

Current Conditions

Reported Fri, Aug 28, 09:01 AM UTC

Depth by source

every reading we have
  • SNOTELBase 0cm

The headline depth uses the most trusted available source. We show every reading so you can judge for yourself.

Base

2856m

Temp

8.7°C

Wind

3.7km/h

Snow Depth

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14-Day Forecast

0cm

Mid-Mountain

3282m

Temp

--°C

Wind

4km/h

Snow Depth

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14-Day Forecast

0cm

Summit

3707m

Temp

5.3°C

Wind

1.1km/h

Snow Depth

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14-Day Forecast

0cm

El Niño Outlook · Winter 2026-27

Crested Butte El Niño rank & forecast

Crested Butte ranks #179 of 488 SnowSure resorts — Tier C, +3% in strong El Niño winters.

Tier C — ENSO-proof: Strong El Niño winters looked like a normal year here — within about ±3% of this resort’s own 30-year snowfall average. Not a jackpot, not a bust: a hedge if you’re planning around El Niño.

#179 of 488Tier C — ENSO-proof

Strong-event signal: +3% vs this resort's 30-yr avg

In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Crested Butte averaged +3% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. El Niño has historically made little difference here — this is an ENSO-proof mountain, for winter 2026-27 as in past events. Analog winters: '97-98 -13%, '15-16 -11%, '23-24 +33%. A pattern, not a promise.

'97-98 −13%'15-16 −11%'23-24 +33%

Signal = average snowfall in the three strongest El Niño winters since 1996 ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24) vs this resort's own 30-year ERA5 baseline. n=3 — a lean, not a law. Updated monthly against measured snowfall Dec–Mar.

Full El Niño report →

Live Conditions

Crested Butte Webcams

All Webcams

Crested Butte Mountain Resort / BrownRice

Crested Butte Mountain Resort / BrownRice

2 webcams • Click to expand

Snow Stake Cam

All Snow Stake Cams

Crested Butte Mountain Resort / BrownRice

1 snow stake cam • Click to expand

Local Reports

0 reports
SnowSure™ Forecast Range

Daily Snowfall Forecast by Model

Black line = verified SnowSure™ blend (not a simple average). Weights update weekly from measured snowfall at SNOTEL stations and resort reports.

SnowSure™ blend — verified model weighting

The black line is not a simple average. For Crested Butte (rockies), we combine seven global weather models using weights learned from daily forecast verification — comparing each model's prediction to measured snowfall (SNOTEL, resort reports, ERA5).

  • 1.Horizon buckets: days 1–3, 4–7, and 8–14 each get separate weights — short-range skill differs from long-range.
  • 2.Regional calibration: weights come from verified error in this geography (Rockies, Alps, Japan, etc.), recalculated weekly.
  • 3.Ground truth only: we never grade a forecast against another model — only against measured snow.

Building verification history for this resort.

How we verify forecasts →

Hourly Forecast Detail

AM / PM / Night breakdown with wind and freezing level

NWP models refresh up to 4× daily · Last synced Aug 28, 9:01 AM

Hourly Forecast Detail
 
Today
16 / 4
Sat, Aug 29
13 / 59.4mm
Sun, Aug 30
12 / 34.3mm
Mon, Aug 31
11 / 312.1mm
Tue, Sep 1
11 / 03.3mm
Wed, Sep 2
11 / 23.6mm
PeriodAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNight
Snow (cm)000000000000000000
Precip (mm)0000.41.27.80.72.11.54.352.80.62.20.52.11.10.4
Temp (°C)101689137611558441035105
Wind (km/h)7194122141017628271849165
Gusts (km/h)205017365623324922143724244532284233

14-Day Snow Forecast by Model

Summit elevation (3707m)

ECMWF
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GFS
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GEM
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JMA
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ICON
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Météo-Fr
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SnowSure™
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10-Day Forecast

Today

28

☁️

16.1°

4.4°

20 km/h

Sat

29

🌧️

13°

4.8°

23 km/h

Sun

30

🌧️

11.6°

3.2°

18 km/h

Mon

31

🌧️

10.6°

2.8°

11 km/h

Tue

1

🌧️

10.5°

0.4°

20 km/h

Wed

2

🌧️

11.1°

2°

18 km/h

Thu

3

🌧️

13°

1.9°

12 km/h

Fri

4

🌧️

13.5°

4.4°

19 km/h

Sat

5

🌧️

13°

4.7°

22 km/h

Sun

6

🌧️

13.2°

5°

20 km/h

Summit elevation (3707m) • ECMWF model

Avalanche

Off-season — no rating published

Colorado Avalanche Information Center

Watch for signs of unstable snow such as recent avalanches, cracking in the snow, and audible collapsing. Avoid traveling on or under similar slopes.

Read the official bulletin ↗

SnowSure relays the official avalanche bulletin and does not issue avalanche forecasts. Read the full bulletin at the issuer’s link and make your own terrain decisions. Not a substitute for avalanche education, equipment, or local knowledge.

Getting There

Drive times & access

Last updated 9:45 AM

1 sensor nearby

Official map ↗

Drive conditions

Quiet — No winter restrictions — typical off-season pavement

The SnowSure call indicates a quiet status for Crested Butte, with no winter restrictions in place and typical off-season pavement conditions. The nearest roadside sensor reports above freezing temperatures at 10°C, confirming the clear and dry conditions. There are no active chain controls or closures on the highways near this resort right now according to CDOT. Always re-check the resort road status and the official DOT map before you drive.

SnowSure take, grounded in live DOT sensors. Not the resort's road status.

Roadside weather sensors

CO-135 026.85 Southbound : 0.5 mile South of Red Lady Avenue Crested Butte

4.3 km · CDOT

Above freezing

Road surface
15°C
Air
10°C
Wind
0 km/h
Precip
no precipitation

Updated 9:45 AM

Live highway sensors & cameras within ~30–40 km, via CDOT. Conditions on the drive, not the mountain — the resort's own road status is authoritative. Always re-check before a winter drive.

Season vs Historic

Updated Fri, Aug 28, 09:01 AM UTC

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Season Total

This Season to Date

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vs 5-Year Avg

Off-season · 341cm full-season avg

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vs 30-Year Avg

Off-season · 288cm full-season avg

341cm

5-Yr Avg by Now

The last completed season totaled ~248.9 cm. That's 27% below the 5-year average (341 cm). Versus the 30-year baseline: 14% below the 30-year average (288 cm).

Crested Butte Snow History

Average annual snowfall is 344cm with an average of 126 snowfall days per season. The table below shows monthly averages across 30 seasons of archive data (modeled snowpack at mid-elevation).

Average monthly snowfall history
MonthAvg SnowfallSnowfall DaysAvg Base DepthMax Base DepthBiggest Snowfall
November37.7cm13 days18cm34cm10.9cm
December51.7cm17 days47cm68cm11.5cm
January48.7cm17 days74cm93cm10.1cm
February49.7cm18 days92cm110cm9.9cm
March50.4cm18 days101cm116cm9.4cm
April47.5cm17 days101cm116cm9.9cm
May23cm11 days77cm104cm6.6cm

Source: SnowSure archive · Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis at mid-elevation. Depth is modeled, not resort-reported.

Season at a Glance

Next season(2026-27)

Opens Nov 25, 2026

Multi-season averages will appear once SnowSure has tracked more than one full season.

ENSO seasonal analog

History · not a forecast

In 10 past El Niño winters at Crested Butte, ERA5 season snowfall median was 306 cm (120 in), about 9% below this resort’s long-term median. This is a historical analog from reanalysis — not a prediction of this winter’s storm track.

Prevailing ONI

El Niño

MJJ 2026 · ANOM +1.39°C

Analog season median

306 cm

10 El Niño winters · 9% below median

All-season median

336 cm

Across 30 ERA5 seasons (2026-27)

PhaseSeasonsMedianp25–p75Recent analogs
El Niñocurrent10306 cm300 cm – 339 cm2023, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2009
La Niña12337 cm298 cm – 390 cm2022, 2021, 2020, 2017, 2011, 2010
ENSO-neutral8345 cm287 cm – 391 cm2025, 2024, 2016, 2013, 2012, 2003

Season snowfall from Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (~9 km). ENSO phase from NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index. Relative phase differences are more trustworthy than absolute cm totals. Source: NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index + Open-Meteo ERA5 via SnowSure season archive.

Best Months to Visit

February

Peak Season

January

Peak Season

March

Good

December

Good

Note: Based on typical ski season patterns for this region.

Back to All Destinations

Frequently asked questions about Crested Butte

Where is Crested Butte?
Crested Butte is a ski resort in the United States.
How high is Crested Butte?
Crested Butte runs from a base elevation of 2,856 m (9,370 ft) to a summit of 3,707 m (12,162 ft), giving a vertical drop of 851 m (2,792 ft).
How big is Crested Butte?
Crested Butte has 1,547 acres (626 hectares) of skiable terrain, 121 marked runs and 15 lifts.
Which ski pass covers Crested Butte?
Crested Butte is on the Epic Pass. Access terms such as blackout dates and day limits vary by pass tier, so check the pass operator for the current season.
When is ski season at Crested Butte?
Crested Butte typically operates from November to April. Exact opening and closing dates shift each year with snowfall — check the resort's current season dates before booking.
How much snow does Crested Butte get in a typical season?
Crested Butte averages 236 inches / 599 cm of snowfall in a typical season. Any individual season can run well above or below that.
How will El Niño affect Crested Butte in winter 2026-27?
El Niño Signal Rank: #179 of 488 SnowSure resorts · Tier C · strong-event signal +3% vs its own 30-yr average. In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Crested Butte averaged +3% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. El Niño has historically made little difference here — this is an ENSO-proof mountain, for winter 2026-27 as in past events. Analog winters: '97-98 -13%, '15-16 -11%, '23-24 +33%. A pattern, not a promise.