2026/27 Season Planning
The Colorado Ski Season,
Month by Month
Which weeks are genuinely peak, which are quietly excellent, and when the vehicles run out. Written for planning, not for hype.
The Colorado ski season runs from mid-November openings to closings in April, with peak demand concentrated in four windows: Christmas through New Year, Martin Luther King Jr. weekend (January 18, 2027), Presidents Day week (February 15, 2027) and March spring break. Ground transportation for those weeks commits six to eight weeks ahead; January after MLK and early December are the quietest, best-value windows of the season.
Month by month
The four weeks that actually sell out
Ground transportation does not run out evenly. It runs out in four places:
- December 26 – January 2. Airport transfers and resort transfers both. Book by October.
- MLK weekend, January 18, 2027. Three days, enormous compression, and it catches people out every year.
- Presidents Day week, February 15, 2027. The single busiest non-holiday week in Colorado skiing. Book by early January.
- March spring break. Different districts break on different weeks, which spreads the demand across the whole month rather than concentrating it — and means there is no quiet week in March.
Everything else in the season can be booked with a few weeks' notice. Those four cannot, and no amount of paying more fixes it, because the rate is locked and the constraint is vehicles rather than price.
When to go if you have a choice
Early December and mid-January are the two windows worth rearranging a life around. Early December buys you an empty mountain and cheap lodging at the cost of partial terrain. Mid-January buys you the best snow of the season at the cost of genuinely cold mornings.
Late February is the compromise: deep snowpack, longer days, and the crowds have gone home after Presidents Day.
April is underrated for families. Warm, forgiving, cheap, and the high-elevation resorts hold snow well into the month. Arapahoe Basin at roughly 10,940 feet at the base regularly runs latest in the state.
Booking lead times, specifically
Rates are hourly and all-inclusive except gratuity, with the first 40 miles of each booking included. Executive Sedan $150/hr (3 passengers, 2-hour minimum), Executive SUV $125/hr (5), Luxury SUV $150/hr, Luxury Coach Van $250/hr (12, 3-hour minimum), Executive/Jet Van $325/hr (9) on a 4-hour minimum. Stretch limousines, party buses and coach buses are quote only. The rate is locked when you book and does not move with demand, weather or the hour of the night.
Cancellation terms are the same on every booking: full refund at 48 hours or more, up to 50% inside 48 hours, nothing inside 24. Tours run on a 7-day window.
Travel conditions change with the calendar too
Vehicles run state-approved winter tires and four-wheel drive, which satisfies Colorado's Traction Law without chains; two-wheel-drive vans and buses carry the traction devices the state requires. Chauffeurs are asked to carry a cold-weather kit — flares, triangles, solar blankets, water, food.
The character of the driving shifts across the season. November and early December are cold and clear more often than not. January and February carry the storm cycles and the closures. March is the snowiest month in much of Colorado and also the month of the heaviest traffic, which is an unpleasant combination on a Sunday afternoon.
Departure planning by resort is on our mountain departure timing guide, and closure behavior on the powder day and road closure guide.
Booking the season, not the trip
Families and corporate groups that ski Colorado repeatedly increasingly book the whole winter at once — the December week, the Presidents Day week, the March trip — in one conversation. It locks the vehicles, locks the rates, and takes the four hardest weeks of the year off the table.
Work runs on Arion's own vehicles and on Arion-trained 1099 affiliate chauffeurs and vetted Colorado PUC-certified operators, depending on the date and the vehicle. Every one of them carries a PUC permit and commercial insurance, and every one is dispatched and answered for by Arion. Colorado PUC permit LL-04689, $1.5 million commercial auto liability, $5 million general liability.
Questions we get asked
When is the Colorado ski season?
Mid-November openings through April closings, with the highest-elevation resorts running latest. Full terrain at most resorts arrives around the Christmas period.
What are the busiest weeks to ski in Colorado?
December 26 through January 2, Martin Luther King Jr. weekend (January 18, 2027), Presidents Day week (February 15, 2027), and March spring break, which runs all month as different school districts break on different weeks.
When is the quietest time to ski Colorado?
Early December and the two or three weeks after New Year. Mid-January is cold, empty and often carries the best snow of the season.
When should I book ski transportation for Christmas week?
By October. Airport transfers and resort transfers both commit through the autumn, and the constraint is vehicles rather than price.
How far ahead should I book for Presidents Day week?
Early January. It is the busiest non-holiday week of Colorado skiing and the second half of the season's tightest window.
Is March a good time to ski Colorado?
It is the snowiest month in much of the state and also the busiest, because spring break rolls through the whole month. Great conditions, no quiet week.
Is April worth it?
Yes, particularly for families. Warm, cheap and forgiving, and the high-elevation resorts hold snow well. Arapahoe Basin, at roughly 10,940 feet at the base, regularly runs latest in the state.
Do your rates change during peak weeks?
No. The rate is locked when you book and does not move with demand or the date. What changes in peak weeks is availability.
How far ahead do I need to book a van or a large vehicle?
Earlier than an SUV, on any date. Large vehicles are the scarce item in Colorado, and groups of nine or more should book as soon as the dates are fixed.
Can I book several trips across the season at once?
Yes, and regular visitors increasingly do — the December week, Presidents Day and the March trip in one conversation. It locks the vehicles and the rates.
Does Sundance affect Colorado ski travel?
Indirectly. It runs January 21 to 31, 2027 in Park City and pulls some traffic out of state during an otherwise quiet Colorado window, which is good news if you are here.
What is the cancellation policy if my plans change?
Full refund at 48 hours or more, up to 50% inside 48 hours, nothing inside 24. Tours run on a 7-day window.
Sources
- CDOT COtrip — live I-70 conditions, closures and Traction Law status
- Colorado Public Utilities Commission — Transportation permits — regulation of luxury limousine and charter carriers in Colorado
Lock the peak weeks now.
Rates hold. Vehicles do not. Free quote.
Last reviewed: August 24, 2026 by Arion dispatch. Rates, policies and Colorado Department of Transportation rules are subject to change; call (970) 703-4995 for current details.