Living in the mountains, we know how easy it can be to get caught up in weather predictions…so we can start by saying that Mother Nature can always prove us wrong, but we noticed this summer that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a report this year which states that there is a high probability of an El Nino weather pattern forming and affecting the US this coming year.

We tend to think of El Nino weather systems in combination with hurricanes or mudslides, but here in the Rockies, the weather pattern can mean great snowfall. In fact, if you look back at the past two El Nino cycles over ten years, both of the El Nino seasons (2006/2007 and 2009/2010) were in the top 30% for snowfall this decade. So what does this mean for skiing and ski rentals in Breckenridge? Well, if you start hearing news or weather reports talking about a possible or definite El Nino pattern for this coming season, we’d say you might want to think about a ski trip or two over the winter!

As we stated at the outset, it’s tough to predict snow, but in an El Nino year you can be assured of more moisture throughout the west and the southwest…hopefully falling as snow in the Rockies. So while El Nino makes us think of the ocean and the coasts, we’d suggest you think about the mountains as well, and start planning your ski getaway and Breckenridge ski rentals soon!