The first snowflakes of the season fell at Keystone Resort around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16. 

According to Jacob Freeman Marquardt, the resort’s communications manager, flakes were visible from the ski area’s North Peak and Bergman Bowl webcams. 

“While the precipitation remained light and did not accumulate by the time our teams arrived early this morning, it was enough to mark the season’s first snowfall,” Marquardt said. 

Temperatures at lower Summit County elevations — like Keystone Resort’s base area at 9,280 ft — have yet to dip low enough to see snow, but higher peaks across the region have begun to see white, including “possible” snow reported near Fremont Pass on Aug. 31. 

“Temperatures near the base were in the mid-40s but conditions above 11,000 feet are usually 10-20 degrees cooler and were briefly cold enough for rain to transition to snow,” Marquardt said of Keystone’s brief nighttime dusting. 

Oftentimes, Keystone Resort receives its first snow in tandem with other Summit County resorts, like Copper Mountain Resort. Both ski areas saw their first flakes last year on the same date — Sept. 13, 2025. 

While a post on social media announced that Copper Mountain also saw snow on Wednesday evening, the resort says it has not received any snow this season. 

Olivia Butrymovich, Copper Mountain’s communications manager, confirmed that the video posted on Facebook did come from Copper Mountain’s Center Village base area camera, but that the precipitation seen was rain not snow, and that temperatures remained in the 40s. 

“It did not snow in any of our base areas, and it did not snow on the mountain,” said Butrymovich.  “Unfortunately, I think (the) Facebook post is misleading. We only saw rain the entire night at Copper, no snow.” 

Following a dismal year for Colorado’s snowpack — and the state’s lowest skier turnout in more than 35 years — Summit County’s resorts are gearing up for increased snow this season and beginning to announce their opening dates.

Copper Mountain plans to open on Nov. 6, while Keystone’s opening date has still yet to be announced, though the resort says it plans to open “as soon as possible in October.“

“We are patiently waiting for the first snow at Copper and will celebrate when it comes!” Butrymovich said.