Super El Niño. Super Snow?

Last winter left Colorado skiers wanting more. So when the first storms of the new season started rolling through the Rockies, you can bet people were paying attention.

And there's already something to get excited about.

October storms have delivered fresh snow to Colorado's high country, with some mountain areas picking up more than a foot. More snow is in the forecast for early November, offering an encouraging start as Colorado's ski resorts prepare to welcome skiers back.

But the early snowfall isn't the only reason this winter is generating buzz.

Meteorologists are tracking a potentially historic Super El Niño, a powerful weather pattern that could influence storm activity across North America throughout the 2026–27 winter.

Could this be the start of a very different ski season?

We turned to NOAA and OpenSnow to see what the latest forecasts—and the history books—have to say.

According to NOAA's October forecast, there's an 83% chance this El Niño will reach historic strength during October–December 2026.

El Niño influences storm tracks across North America, sometimes bringing significant changes to winter weather patterns.

While its effects vary across Colorado, this year's developing pattern gives skiers something interesting to watch as the mountains prepare to open.

Here's where things get interesting.

In its 2026–27 Colorado Winter Forecast, OpenSnow examined ten previous El Niño winters and found some promising historical trends for early-season snowpack.

At Steamboat, November snowpack gains averaged 113% of normal during those winters. (See OpenSnow graph above and more details here.)

And across the Colorado locations studied, OpenSnow identified a tendency toward stronger snowpack accumulation early and late in the ski season.

Those are historical patterns, not predictions for this November, but they're certainly encouraging as opening day approaches.

Meanwhile, winter is already making its presence known. Recent storms delivered fresh snow to Colorado's higher elevations, and more mountain weather is on the horizon.

After last winter, there's plenty of anticipation surrounding the 2026–27 season.

A potentially historic El Niño, encouraging historical early-season snowpack trends, and the first mountain snowfalls are giving us reasons to get excited.

Will this be a winter to remember? Only time—and the storms—will tell.

But the countdown is on, and we can't wait to welcome skiers back to Steamboat Springs, Vail, Beaver Creek, and Breckenridge.