How Does Today’s Snow Base Compare to Average Levels in Colorado?
If you live, ski, ride, or work outdoors in Colorado, “snow base” is not just small talk. It affects trail access, avalanche conditions, resort terrain, spring runoff, and summer water planning. The tricky part is that people use “snow base” to mean two different things, and those two can tell slightly different stories.
Here’s a clear, Colorado-wide way to think about where we stand right now, and what “normal” actually means.
First, What “Snow Base” Means in Colorado
In everyday Colorado conversations, snow base usually refers to one of these:
Ski-area base depth: The depth reported at resorts, typically measured at a mid-mountain plot, and influenced by grooming and snowmaking.
Mountain snowpack (SWE): Snow Water Equivalent, the water stored in the snowpack, tracked at high-elevation stations. This is the number that matters most for rivers and reservoirs.
Those two can move together, but not perfectly. A resort can build a workable base with snowmaking, even when the broader mountain snowpack is lagging.
Today’s Snapshot, Below Normal in Most Basins
As of Monday, January 26, 2026, the NRCS SNOTEL daily update shows basin snowpack indices well below the median for this date in most of Colorado.
A few quick, representative basin indices for today:
Upper Colorado River Basin: 56% of median
South Platte River Basin: 59% of median
Gunnison River Basin: 60% of median
Arkansas River Basin: 51% of median
Laramie and North Platte Basins: 68% of median
Taken together, that is a “behind schedule” pattern for late January, especially in basins clustered near the low 50s to low 60s.
What Resorts Are Showing for Base Depth
If you mean “snow base” the way skiers and riders often do, statewide summaries can look even lower. One widely used resort-conditions aggregator currently reports Colorado snowpack levels at 44% of normal, alongside current base depths and terrain status by resort.
That does not mean every mountain is skiing the same. It means the statewide picture, when rolled up, is still running well under typical late-January conditions.
Why “Percent of Median” Is the Right Benchmark
Colorado snowpack is often compared to the median for the date, not the average. The median is the middle outcome over many years, so it is less distorted by extreme seasons. The NRCS basin tables you see are explicitly comparing today’s SWE to that median for this day of year.
One more detail that matters: late January is not the seasonal peak. Colorado often builds a large share of its snowpack in February and March. So “below median today” is not destiny, but it does narrow the margin for error if the storm track stays quiet.
How to Use This Information, Without Overreacting
For most Colorado households and businesses, the practical takeaway is simple:
If you are planning ski days, watch base depth trends and overnight lows. Those drive surface quality and coverage.
If you are planning for water, pay closer attention to SWE, not base depth. SWE is the bank account for spring runoff.
If you are managing risk, track weekly direction. A steady slide in percent of median matters more than a single storm headline.
FAQ
Is snow base the same as snowpack?
Not exactly. “Base” is often a resort depth number. “Snowpack” usually means SWE, the water stored in the snow in the mountains.
Does a low January snowpack guarantee a bad spring runoff?
No. Colorado can still recover with strong February and March storms. But the lower the snowpack now, the more consistent storms need to be later.
What is the most reliable number to track statewide conditions?
For water supply and river outlooks, track SWE percent of median from SNOTEL basin updates. For trip planning, track resort base depths and terrain open.
Bottom Line
Today’s Colorado snow base, whether you look at resort base depth or mountain SWE, is generally below normal for late January. The details vary by basin and by mountain. But the statewide theme is the same, we are playing catch-up right now.