Dry Start to Winter: Summit County, CO Ski Conditions & Real Estate Update | Ski Summit Show 139

This winter is coming in weird. Up on the peaks, brown is still beating white most days, and the “white ribbon of death” is very real right now—thin strips of man-made snow with a whole lot of dirt and rock on both sides. Temperatures have been just cold enough for resorts to blow snow and keep a top-to-bottom route open, but the storms so far have been light and often tracking just south of us.

The big question is: does a dry November doom the ski season or the real estate market?

Short answer: no. But it does change how we think about skiing, safety, and strategy for the next couple of months. Let’s break it down.

How Resorts Are Coping With Low Snow

Right now, Summit County resorts are operating on a skinny primary route—one man-made top-to-bottom run while the rest of the mountain waits for real storms. Steamboat, for example, has really only had the upper part of the mountain open because temps haven’t supported aggressive snowmaking top to bottom.

As long as it stays cold, snow guns can keep things skiable:

• One main route open at Breckenridge, Copper, Keystone, and A-Basin.
• Everything else is “coming soon” and completely dependent on natural snowfall.

It’s not the dreamy early-season powder anyone wants, but it is enough to get your legs back under you, log some laps, and shake the rust off while we wait for the bigger systems.

The Snowpack, By the Numbers

Colorado’s snowpack as of Wednesday was roughly 19% of the median for this time of year, ranking in the 5th percentile—meaning 95% of years on record had more snow than we do right now at this point in the season.

OpenSnow’s Joel Gratz pointed out that this start looks a lot like three other Colorado seasons: 1999–2000, 2001–02, and 2016–17, where there was very little snow through about November 10. Two of those years (’99–’00 and ’16–’17) actually ended up with roughly average snowpack by the end of the season. 2001–02 stayed historically low.

So if you like simple odds: roughly a two-out-of-three chance that we claw our way back to “normal,” and a one-out-of-three chance that this stays a genuinely low-snow year.

Not exactly a powder guarantee—but definitely not the end of the world either.

Avalanche Safety: The Surprising Silver Lining

Here’s where the dry start actually helps.

When we get a big early storm in October or early November and then it goes dry, that early snow can turn into a weak, sugary faceted layer near the ground. Later storms then stack heavy snow on top of that “ball bearing” layer and create a very dangerous, persistent weak base.

This year, with very little early snow, backcountry terrain is basically unskiable right now—but the upside is:

• We avoid that early weak base.
• Once storms line up and snow comes more consistently (late November onward), the snowpack has a better chance to build in more stable, well-bonded layers.

If you’re planning to tour or ride in the backcountry this year, now is a great time to educate yourself. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center offers a free online awareness course that covers key concepts before you start venturing out.

Avalanches are not how you want to go out. Take them seriously.

The Local Economy in a Dry Start

Low snow doesn’t shut Summit County down—it just shifts how visitors spend their time and money:

• Fewer full ski days.
• More time (and dollars) at restaurants, breweries, shops, spas, and events.

Remember, snow isn’t just about powder days. This is how we “store” water for spring and summer—feeding rivers, reservoirs, agriculture, and outdoor recreation long after winter ends.

So yes, it’s a ski story—but it’s also a water story, and that matters for everyone who lives, works, or owns property here.

Market in a Minute: Inventory Is Depleting, Motivation Is Rising

On the real estate side, we’re seeing a very typical seasonal pattern.

• Roughly 572 properties are on the market in Summit County.
• New listings were heavily front-loaded into early and mid-summer—June and July are where you see that bigger wave hit.
• As we move into late fall and ski season, fewer new listings are coming on… and overall inventory is starting to drift down.

A lot of the homes that are still on the market have been sitting for 100+ days, which usually means you’re dealing with more motivated sellers and more room for negotiation.

If you’re a buyer, don’t let the lower inventory scare you off. This is a season where serious sellers and serious buyers can come together and make smart deals.

Listing of the Week: Main Street Station Condo in Breckenridge

This week I’m featuring a 1-bedroom condo in Main Street Station—right in the heart of Breckenridge.

Highlights:

• South-facing deck that stays warm and gives you great views of the peaks and up-valley.
• Short walking distance to shops, restaurants, and everything downtown.
• Strong amenities package: pool, hot tubs, weight room, ski lockers, and just a few steps from the slopes.

If you’re looking for a true “park the car and forget it” mountain base with walkable access and great rental potential, this is the kind of property that checks a lot of boxes.

A Quick Local Highlight: Comedy Night at The Block

If the snow is slow to arrive, you can still have a great night out.

We found Comedy Night at The Block in Silverthorne, hosted by High Altitude Comedy. It’s coming up on Saturday the 29th—a cool, hostel-style venue with a bar, river access, and a fun outdoor space that hosts small concerts in the summer.

Fair warning: the comedy runs “blue”—plenty of F-bombs—so this is not a family-friendly show. Venue’s clean, jokes are not. Plan accordingly.

New Website: Easier Ways to Search, Learn, and Connect

We also just launched my brand-new website, designed to make it easier for you to:

• Watch a real, non-AI hero video that shows what it actually feels like to be out in the mountains.
• Set up custom searches across the Altitude MLS (Summit & Park Counties) with Lake Dillon as your hub.
• Browse my team’s featured listings and then jump into full MLS access for anything currently on the market.
• Request a 30,000-foot property valuation online—and then schedule a deeper, in-person CMA if you want a realistic “what would this actually sell for” number.

I’m excited to put this tool to work for buyers and sellers who want clear, data-driven insight into the Summit County market.

If you’d like help setting up a custom search or getting a valuation on your place, reach out and I’ll walk you through it.

See you in the mountains soon…