Breckenridge / Copper Mountain in short
The numbers in three sentences
NOAA's Dec–Feb 2026-27 outlook for Breckenridge / Copper Mountain: temperature equal chances; precipitation 33–39% chance Above normal.
Among the 9 strong El Niño winters with complete records, the snowiest here was 1982-83 (196.8 in, 107% of normal) and the least snowy was 1965-66 (100.5 in, 54% of normal).
In the “Big Three” El Niño winters it recorded 1982-83 (196.8 in, 107% of normal), 1997-98 (159.4 in, 86% of normal), 2015-16 (181.6 in, 98% of normal).
Snow by winter
The chart as a table: inches, % of normal, El Niño peak
Snow in past strong El Niño winters
Winters with above-normal snow
2 of 9
In 2 of 9 strong El Niño winters, Breckenridge / Copper Mountain got above-normal snow (median 86% of normal).
Normal: 184.6 in per season (NOAA 1991–2020 normal).
| Winter | % of normal |
|---|---|
| 1957-58150.9 inPeak ONI 1.69 / RONI 1.89 | 82% |
| 1965-66100.5 inPeak ONI 1.82 / RONI 1.99 | 54% |
| 1972-73185.0 inPeak ONI 1.84 / RONI 1.97 | 100% |
| 1982-83Big 3196.8 inPeak ONI 2.14 / RONI 2.40 | 107% |
| 1991-92147.7 inPeak ONI 1.54 / RONI 2.12 | 80% |
| 1997-98Big 3159.4 inPeak ONI 2.37 / RONI 2.28 | 86% |
| 2009-10140.6 inPeak ONI 1.50 / RONI 1.50 | 76% |
| 2015-16Big 3181.6 inPeak ONI 2.59 / RONI 2.25 | 98% |
| 2023-24194.5 inPeak ONI 1.99 / RONI 1.42 | 105% |
Snowfall from the nearest long-record NOAA station: BRECKENRIDGE (9,598 ft), 2.2 km from the resort. Resort-reported totals may differ.
Past strong El Niño winters are a guide, not a forecast. Every El Niño is different: this one comes with a negative PDO, which NOAA says may dampen typical impacts.
NOAA's outlook and El Niño now
Issued Sep 17, 2026 · next Oct 15, 2026
NOAA Dec–Feb outlook
Official- Temperature
- Equal chances
- Precipitation
- 33–39% chance Above normal
Issued Sep 17, 2026 by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Next update Oct 15, 2026.
El Niño now
- NOAA status
- El Niño Advisory
- RONI, JAS 2026
- +1.69 °C
- Chance of very strong (≥ +2.0 °C) in Dec–Feb
- 81%
NOAA status: El Niño Advisory. El Niño continues to strengthen, with a strong-to-very strong El Niño likely through January-March 2027 (remaining greater than an 83% chance). (NOAA CPC, Oct 8, 2026.)
About this station
BRECKENRIDGE · ACIS 050909
- Station: BRECKENRIDGE, ACIS id
050909. - Also covers: Breckenridge, CO; Copper Mountain, CO.
- Resort coordinates from Wikipedia (“Breckenridge Ski Resort”, accessed 2026-10-05).
- Nearest long-record NOAA COOP station: BRECKENRIDGE (COOP 050909, 9,598 ft, 2.2 km away; snow record 1893-01-11…2026-08-31).
- This is a nearby long-term station, not summit or resort-reported snowfall.
- Several resorts share this station: Breckenridge, Copper Mountain.
How we pick stations and count winters: method & sources. Last updated .
Not a forecast
This is not a weather forecast. Seasonal outlooks are probabilities from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center; past El Niño winters show what happened, not what will happen. Snowfall is from NOAA station records (ACIS) and may contain gaps or station changes. For forecasts and warnings, use weather.gov. Not affiliated with NOAA/NWS.