Colorado’s 2026-27 winter forecast according to Farmers’ Almanac

Colorado winters have a reputation for being unpredictable at best and absolutely chaotic at worst. One week you’re eating lunch on a patio in a t-shirt, and the next you’re digging your car out from under two feet of snow you definitely didn’t see coming. So what’s the deal for 2026-2027? Let’s break it down.

The Farmers’ Almanac — yes, the one your grandparents swore by — is calling for Colorado and the surrounding region to experience a winter that is “cold, snowy at times and breezy.”

The publication is pointing to an active southern storm track as the main driver of the season, meaning residents should expect periodic bursts of wintry weather rather than one long, steady freeze. Think rapid swings, a good dose of wind and conditions that will keep weather apps perpetually confused.

Here’s the headline ski resorts have been waiting for: the Farmers’ Almanac is specifically highlighting the southern Rockies as a favorable spot for solid mountain snow totals this winter.

That’s great news for resorts in the southern Colorado mountains, and it lines up with what an active southern storm track tends to produce. When storm systems ride up from the south and southwest, the southern Rockies tend to intercept significant moisture before those systems lose their punch heading north.

For skiers and snowboarders, this forecast is worth keeping an eye on. If the Almanac’s track record holds up, southern Colorado mountain towns could be sitting pretty by February.

For those of us along the Front Range and Denver metro area — surprise — you’re getting the full Colorado experience. The forecast calls for fluctuating conditions with rapid shifts between freezing and thawing periods, particularly for areas bordering the Eastern Plains.

That means one day of genuine blizzard conditions, followed by a 55-degree afternoon that tricks everyone into thinking spring arrived four months early. Standard stuff, really. Keep the ice scraper in the car. Keep it there all season.

The active southern storm track could also mean some classic upslope snow events — those sneaky setups where moisture gets pushed against the Front Range and drops significant snow totals on the urban corridor while everyone was busy making plans.

The Eastern Plains are no strangers to wild weather swings, and this winter looks to deliver more of the same. Residents in eastern Colorado should expect periods of genuine cold and wintry precipitation, followed by rapid thaws that make the whole thing feel like a fever dream.

The breezy conditions noted in the forecast are particularly relevant out on the plains, where there’s nothing to stop the wind from doing whatever it wants. If you live out there, you already know. If you don’t, just imagine holding your hat onto your head for five consecutive months.

While the Farmers’ Almanac is a useful long-range reference, actual winter conditions will sharpen up as seasonal forecasts from NOAA and other agencies roll out closer to fall. Key things to monitor heading into the season:

• La Niña or El Niño status: Pacific Ocean temperature patterns have an enormous influence on Colorado winters. An active southern storm track, as the Almanac suggests, can correlate with certain neutral-to-La Niña setups.
• Early season snowpack: How the mountains set up in October and November often sets the tone for the rest of the season.
• Jet stream positioning: A dip in the jet stream over the Rockies can mean extended cold shots and better storm potential statewide.

Colorado’s 2026-2027 winter is shaping up to be a legitimate one — cold, active and more than a little breezy. Mountain snowpack is looking favorable, especially in the southern Rockies, and the storm pattern suggests this won’t be one of those frustrating dry winters that leaves ski resorts artificially grooming their way through January.

For Denver and the Front Range, get used to the whiplash. For the mountains, start waxing those skis.

Winter is coming, Colorado. And for once, it actually means it.