Hesperus Ski Area suspended its winter operations Sunday due to a lack of snow, accentuating a rough and dismal winter for the snow-starved mountains of Southwest Colorado.
According to its website, Hesperus Ski Area – a small ski operation 33 miles east of Cortez, which offers 26 trails on 60 skiable acres and a summit of 8,888 feet – could reopen if winter finally decides to arrive.
Hesperus Ski Area, which already had a late start to the season, opening on Feb. 14, relies entirely on natural snowfall for its operations, said Kim Oyler, spokeswoman for Mountain Capital Partners.
“Its been a challenging season with warmer and drier weather in the region,” Oyler wrote in an email.
According to Tom Renwick, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, Southwest Colorado’s winter-less fate shows no signs of turning around in the upcoming week.
A winter storm that hit Colorado on Sunday into Monday stuck to the northern parts of the state, veering from the Southwest and bringing only high winds across the region.
The rest of the week is expected to be sunny and clear, Renwick said, with daytime temperatures in the high-40s to mid-50s. On Thursday, the forecast is calling for a daytime high of 62 degrees.
jromeo@durangoherald.com