Eight Colorado resorts set snow records

DENVER — Snowmass wasn’t alone in boasting record snowfall for the winter of 2007-’08. The resort was one of eight in Colorado that saw accumulations worthy of the record books, according to Denver-based Colorado Ski Country USA.

The state saw more than 100 powder days, based on a tally of the number of days one resort or another picked up new snow.

Snowmass, now closed for the season, set a record with 450 inches of snow over the course of the winter season, according to the statewide trade association.

Among Ski Country’s 26 members, record snowfall was also recorded at Beaver Creek (430 inches), Crested Butte (422 inches), Monarch Mountain (482 inches), Powderhorn (320 inches), Silverton (550 inches), Steamboat (489 inches) and Telluride (353 inches).

Vail saw its third snowiest winter on record, Durango Mountain Resort recorded its fifth snowiest winter and snowfall totals at both Sunlight Mountain Resort near Glenwood Springs and Copper Mountain landed in the top 10 in the resorts’ histories, according to Ski Country.

Keystone tied its best snowfall in the previous eight years, and Eldora received its best snow year in the previous five years.

While some Colorado ski areas delayed their scheduled start-ups in November because they didn’t have enough snow on the ground to open, a number of them wound up setting records for snowfall in December and January.

Powderhorn reported record December snowfall. December and January were record snow months at Snowmass and Vail, and Telluride received record snowfall from December through February. January and February snowfall totals were among the highest in Loveland’s history, and 2007-’08 marked the first time Steamboat surpassed the 100-inch cumulative mark for three months in one ski season — from December through February, according to the trade group.

According to Ski Country USA, its 26 member resorts had measurable snow a total of 141 days. The trade group also tallied 105 powder days, meaning at least one resort got more than five inches of new snow on each of those days.

And, the season isn’t finished yet. Aspen Highlands, Silverton and Wolf Creek are open for one more weekend — this coming Saturday and Sunday. Arapahoe Basin, Echo Mountain and Loveland remain open.

_{Bron: Aspen Times}