Keystone Snow Conditions

Keystone Resort is situated in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and lies in the White River National Forest just one hour from Denver International Airport. The resort is part of Summit County, which also incorporates Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and Arapahoe Basin, and is home to the region's famous 'champagne powder'. The ski area sees a good amount of snow each winter, usually between 5-6m annually, and is boosted by a huge snowmaking system, which ensures that Keystone is the first resort in Colorado to open each year.

 

Keystone sits at an altitude of 2,835m, with skiing up to a top elevation of 3,718m. The resort sees plenty of great powder, as does all of Colorado, thanks to the water content being very low and resulting in dry fluffy snow, ideal for skiing and boarding. Keystone is known for having extremely well-groomed wide runs, making the ski area ideal for families and beginners. There are 121 ski runs that are concentrated on 210km of terrain over 3 mountains - Dercum, North Peak and The Outback - mainly suited to intermediate skiers, but with over half of the trails rated as advanced and plenty of bumps, there are enough challenges for more experienced skiers. Beginners have their own learning centre at the very top of Dercum, which is where most of the easier runs can be found. The resort also offers the largest night skiing operation in Colorado, with a number of runs open until 9 or 10pm from January to March.

The resort enjoys a long ski season, usually being the first in Colorado to open, which runs from late October to April. Upper and lower slope averages in Keystone reached 156cm during the 2008 season, with February and March generally seeing the best conditions. Keystone is known for its extensive snowmaking capabilities, investing very heavily during recent years, with cannons covering over half of its slopes.