Some ski areas experienced a snowless December Over the past few weeks, much of the eastern United States has endured record-breaking cold temperatures and a blustery snowstorm called the ?bomb cyclone.? But venture further west and you?ll find a different story: States like Colorado, Utah, and California are in the midst of a warm, dry winter that is affecting resort towns and worrying forecasters.
Colorado?one of the country?s most popular ski destinations, with about 13 million skier visits each year?has been especially hard hit. Overall, the state?s snowpack is only at about 50 percent of average, and towns like Telluride and Durango in southern Colorado are faring much worse than that. According to Telluride Ski Resort?s mountain report, the ski area has only received 26 inches of snow all season and as of January 8, only 16 percent of the mountain is open.
1st thing you see is eternal beauty of the Sangres. 2nd thing you see is the temporal fact of almost no snow on Jan. 4. pic.twitter.com/nuek0WedPk? Michael Booth (@mboothdenver) January 4, 2018

Throughout the West, winter?s slow start has distressed town residents who depend on skiing for their livelihoods. Lift operators and other seasonal workers need lifts running and hotels booked to make ends meet, so when a ski area isn?t fully operational, it affects everyone.
In early December, Aspen Skiing Co. set up a soup kitchen for employees who had planned to work full-time but couldn?t due to the lack of...