Best Time to Visit Aspen

When to go to Aspen: 2026/27 lift dates for all four mountains, snowfall by month from the City of Aspen record, the summer gondola and Maroon Bells windows, and the two mud seasons.

Aspen has two high seasons and two empty ones, and the dates are published rather than guessed. The ski season runs November 26, 2026 to April 18, 2027 across the four mountains, with March the snowiest month in town at 27 in (69 cm). Summer peaks from late June to early September, when the average high reaches 82 °F (28 °C) in July and the Silver Queen Gondola runs daily. The two windows nobody sells you are mid-April to mid-June and mid-October to Thanksgiving, when lifts stop, roads close and restaurants shut. Full calendar below. Start with our Aspen hotel guide.

The short answer

Best for skiing: late January to mid-March. March is the snowiest month in town, at 27 in (69 cm) on the City of Aspen record.
Best for summer: late June to early September, with a July average high of 82 °F (28 °C) and a low of 48 °F (9 °C).
Best for fall color: mid-September to early October, when the aspen stands turn.
Avoid: mid-April to mid-June and mid-October to late November. These are the two off-seasons, locally called mud season.
2026/27 lift dates: Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open November 26; Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk open December 12. Closing runs from April 4 at Buttermilk to April 18 at Aspen Mountain.
Maroon Bells: the road is open with reservations from May 15 to October 31, and closed from about November 15 to the end of May.
Snowfall: about 157 in (399 cm) a year in town, against roughly 300 in on the mountains according to Aspen Skiing Company.

Timeline of the Aspen year showing the lift season, the spring mud season, the summer gondola season, and dated events including X Games, the Food and Wine Classic and the Maroon Bells road dates

The Aspen planning calendar: lift dates, road dates and the weeks the town shuts its doors.

Understanding the climate in Aspen

Aspen sits in a narrow valley of the Elk Mountains at about 7,900 feet (2,400 m), with Aspen Mountain rising directly from the edge of town to 11,212 feet (3,417 m). Altitude, not latitude, writes the calendar. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 1991 to 2020 normals for Aspen-Pitkin County Airport put the January average high at 35 °F (1 °C) and the low at 9 °F (-13 °C). Even in July, the warmest month, the average high is only 82 °F (28 °C) and the night falls to 48 °F (9 °C).

The Silver Queen Gondola crossing a groomed run on Aspen Mountain, with snow-covered conifers and the Roaring Fork valley below

The Silver Queen Gondola on Aspen Mountain. It runs all winter and again daily from about June 20 to September 7. Photo : Wolfgang Moroder, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

That night-time figure is the one that matters for a summer trip. In a valley this high, the air empties of heat as soon as the sun drops behind the ridge. No month of the year has an average low above 48 °F (9 °C), and June and September both fall to 42 and 40 °F (6 and 4 °C). A jacket is not optional on an August evening.

Precipitation here means snow for half the year

Aspen's annual precipitation is modest, 15.0 in (380 mm) of liquid equivalent across about 50 days with measurable precipitation. That figure misleads if you read it as rain. From November to April what falls is snow, and the melted equivalent of a foot of dry Colorado powder is often less than an inch of water. The useful measurement is depth, and the City of Aspen has kept it since 1934.

Bar chart of average monthly snowfall in the town of Aspen in inches, with March the deepest month at 27 inches

Snowfall in town, month by month. March, not January, is the deepest month on the City of Aspen record.

On that record, the season averages 156.9 in (399 cm) in town, with March the deepest month at 27.3 in, ahead of February at 26.2 and January at 25.8. The mountains get roughly twice that: Aspen Skiing Company puts the four areas at about 300 in (762 cm) a year. Two caveats worth holding. First, the year-to-year spread is enormous: the town record runs from 59.1 in in the driest season to 278 in in the deepest. Second, the most recent season was poor, 108.1 in in 2025-26 against the long-run average of 157.

Summer brings a second, smaller wet season. July records 6.1 precipitation days, the most of any month, from afternoon mountain thunderstorms. They are short, they build over the ridges after noon, and they are the reason alpine hikes here start at dawn.

Ski season, late November to mid-April

The 2026/27 dates are set. Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open on November 26, 2026; Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk follow on December 12. Closing is staggered in the other direction: Buttermilk on April 4, 2027, Aspen Highlands and Snowmass on April 11, and Aspen Mountain on April 18, conditions allowing.

Mountain	Opens	Closes	Suits
Aspen Mountain	Nov 26, 2026	Apr 18, 2027	Steeps, town-side laps, the longest season
Snowmass	Nov 26, 2026	Apr 11, 2027	Families, volume, ski-in ski-out lodging
Aspen Highlands	Dec 12, 2026	Apr 11, 2027	Expert terrain, the Highland Bowl hike
Buttermilk	Dec 12, 2026	Apr 4, 2027	Beginners, terrain parks, X Games

Source: Aspen Skiing Company, winter 2026/27 season dates announced September 2026. Closing dates are conditions dependent.

Illustration of downtown Aspen in winter: Victorian storefronts under snow, garlands, skiers walking in the street

Downtown Aspen in winter. The lifts turn from November 26 to April 18, and Christmas week is the most expensive fortnight of the year. Illustration : Aspen Travel Guide: Best Things to Do, Stay & Explore in Aspen, United States.

Within that window the months are not equal:

Late November and early December: only two mountains are open, the base is thin, and rates are at their lowest of the winter. Good value, limited terrain.
Christmas and New Year: the most expensive fortnight of the Aspen year, booked many months out.
January: cold and quiet after the first week, with 25.8 in of snow in town on average. X Games takes over Buttermilk from January 29 to 31, 2027, its 26th consecutive year there, which fills the valley for a long weekend.
February and March: the deepest snow and the longest days of the season combined. March averages 27.3 in in town and brings the average high back above freezing, to 46 °F (8 °C). This is the answer for most skiers.
April to closing: soft snow, sunshine, cheap rooms, and mountains closing one after another. The average high reaches 55 °F (13 °C) and the town still records 16.7 in of snow.

For the practical side, see our guides to how ski pass costs shape your hotel choice and Aspen Mountain against Snowmass.

Mud season, mid-April to mid-June

A walker on a bare, thawing slope below the Silver Queen Gondola cabins on Aspen Mountain in spring, with patchy snow remaining

Aspen Mountain in April, as the snow goes. The weeks after closing day are the emptiest of the year. Photo : Wolfgang Moroder, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The weeks after closing day are the emptiest of the year, and visitors who arrive unaware find a town with the lights off. The lifts have stopped, the high trails are still under snow, Maroon Creek Road is shut, and a large share of the restaurants and shops close outright for staff holidays. Locals call it mud season, and the name is accurate: April still averages 16.7 in of snow in town, May 5.2 in, and the melt turns the lower trails to mud.

The weather itself is pleasant enough. May averages 65 °F (18 °C) by day, and June 77 °F (25 °C). What you cannot rely on is anything being open. Three dates unlock the season:

May 15: vehicle access to Maroon Bells resumes, with parking reservations required through October 31.
Around May 22: the RFTA shuttle to Maroon Bells starts from Aspen Highlands, running roughly every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. until mid-October.
Memorial Day, give or take: Independence Pass on Highway 82 reopens, restoring the direct eastern route toward Leadville and Denver. It closes again in mid-autumn.

If you want Aspen cheap and have no interest in the mountains, the second half of May works. If you want to hike, wait for late June.

Summer, late June to early September

Summer is Aspen's second peak, and in several respects its better one. July averages 82 °F (28 °C) and August 80 °F (27 °C), with nights at 48 and 47 °F (9 and 8 °C). Nothing is humid, the light is long, and the alpine terrain that carries skiers in February carries hikers in July.

The Maroon Bells peaks above Maroon Lake in summer, with green meadows and conifer forest in the valley below

Maroon Bells in summer. Vehicle access and the shuttle both need a reservation, from May 15 to October 31. Photo : Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The set piece is Maroon Bells, ten miles southwest of town, reached by shuttle from Aspen Highlands or by a vehicle reservation. Beyond it, the Silver Queen Gondola runs daily from about June 20 to September 7 and on weekends either side of that, putting you on the 11,212 ft summit without a climb. Independence Pass is the drive, topping out on the Continental Divide at 12,095 feet.

The view from Independence Pass on the Continental Divide in July, with snowfields still lying on the peaks above a green valley

Independence Pass, on the Continental Divide at 12,095 ft. Highway 82 over it is open from roughly Memorial Day to mid-October. Photo : Nan Palmero, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Plan around the afternoon:

Start high-altitude hikes at dawn. July has the most precipitation days of any month, at 6.1, almost all of it afternoon thunderstorm. Be off exposed ridges by noon.
Give yourself a day to acclimatize. The town sits near 7,900 feet and the trails go far higher. Drink more than feels necessary and do not plan a fourteener for day one.
Book Maroon Bells early. Reservations are required for both parking and the shuttle across the whole May to October window.
Expect the July peak of the calendar. The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen runs June 18 to 20, 2027 in its 44th year, and the Aspen Music Festival and School fills the town from June 30 to August 22, 2027.

Our page on how the summer hiking trails shape where to stay matches the trailheads to the districts, and the Maroon Bells shuttle and drive guide covers the reservations in full.

Fall, mid-September to late October

The snow-dusted Maroon Bells above a stand of aspens in full golden autumn color in late September

Maroon Bells in late September. Color peaks between mid-September and early October, higher elevations first. Photo : Jesse Varner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

September is the connoisseur's month. The average high is 72 °F (22 °C), the nights drop to 40 °F (4 °C), the summer crowd has gone and the aspen groves turn. Aspen Skiing Company puts the color peak between mid-September and early October, varying with elevation: the high stands above Maroon Lake and along Castle Creek turn first, the valley floor last. Jazz Aspen Snowmass closes the summer with its Labor Day Experience at Snowmass Town Park, September 4 to 6, 2026.

The window narrows fast. By mid-October the leaves are down, the gondola has stopped its weekend runs, and the second off-season begins. October already averages 9.1 in of snow in town and November 21.9 in, and Maroon Creek Road typically closes around November 15. The three weeks before the mountains open on November 26 are the emptiest of the whole year. Our fall foliage peak dates page times the stay to the turn.

Aspen month by month

Monthly climate chart for Aspen-Pitkin County Airport showing average high and low temperatures in Fahrenheit and the number of days with measurable precipitation

Aspen month by month, from the NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals. No month has an average low above 48 °F.

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Snow in town	Precip days	Verdict
January	35 °F / 1 °C	9 °F / -13 °C	25.8 in / 66 cm	3.4	Cold, quiet, reliable snow
February	38 °F / 3 °C	12 °F / -11 °C	26.2 in / 67 cm	3.1	Deep base, short days
March	46 °F / 8 °C	21 °F / -6 °C	27.3 in / 69 cm	4.1	Snowiest, sunniest, best
April	55 °F / 13 °C	28 °F / -2 °C	16.7 in / 42 cm	5.6	Spring skiing, then shutdown
May	65 °F / 18 °C	35 °F / 2 °C	5.2 in / 13 cm	4.7	Mud season, town half shut
June	77 °F / 25 °C	42 °F / 6 °C	0.7 in / 2 cm	2.4	Driest month, season opens
July	82 °F / 28 °C	48 °F / 9 °C	0	6.1	Warmest, busiest, stormy noons
August	80 °F / 27 °C	47 °F / 8 °C	0	4.9	Summer peak, music festival
September	72 °F / 22 °C	40 °F / 4 °C	1.3 in / 3 cm	4.4	Best all-round month
October	60 °F / 15 °C	29 °F / -2 °C	9.1 in / 23 cm	4.4	Color, then closure
November	45 °F / 7 °C	19 °F / -7 °C	21.9 in / 56 cm	3.7	Dead until Nov 26
December	34 °F / 1 °C	9 °F / -13 °C	25.4 in / 65 cm	2.9	Thin then priceless

Sources: temperatures and precipitation days from NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020, station USW00093073, Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, counting any day with 0.1 in (2.5 mm) or more of liquid equivalent. Snowfall depth in town from the City of Aspen's Aspen Snowfall Data Summary, kept since 1934. The two series measure different things and come from different records, which is why they are labeled separately; the ski mountains receive roughly twice the town's snowfall.

The best time for what you want to do

Illustration of the Maroon Bells reflected in Maroon Lake, framed by golden aspens, with hikers on the shore path

Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake. Late June for wildflowers, the last ten days of September for the turn. Illustration : Aspen Travel Guide: Best Things to Do, Stay & Explore in Aspen, United States.

Skiing the best snow. February and March. March carries the deepest average snowfall and the longest daylight of the season, and the average high climbs back above freezing.
Learning to ski. January and early March at Buttermilk, which opens December 12 and closes April 4. See planning a first trip.
Spring skiing and sunshine. The first two weeks of April, before the closures stack up.
Hiking the high country. Mid-July to mid-September, once the snowfields have gone off the passes. Start at dawn.
Maroon Bells. Late June for green and wildflowers, the last ten days of September for the aspen turn. Reservations required either way.
Fall color. Mid-September to early October, higher elevations first.
Value. Late April into May, and the first three weeks of November. Both are genuinely cheap, and both come with a town that is partly closed. Our budget guide works through the timing.
Cross-country skiing. January to March, on the valley track system rather than the alpine mountains. See choosing a hotel for the Nordic trails.

Illustration of an autumn aspen forest with white trunks and golden leaves, and a mountain bike trail running through it

An aspen grove in late September. The high stands turn first, the valley floor last. Illustration : Aspen Travel Guide: Best Things to Do, Stay & Explore in Aspen, United States.

Events that shape the year

X Games Aspen, January 29 to 31, 2027, at Buttermilk. The 26th consecutive year at that mountain.
Wintersköl, mid-January, Aspen's annual toast to winter, with a parade and a torchlight descent.
Closing weekend, April 18, 2027 on Aspen Mountain. The last day of the season and a long-standing local party.
FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, June 18 to 20, 2027, its 44th edition. The single most sold-out weekend of the Aspen summer.
Aspen Music Festival and School, June 30 to August 22, 2027. Eight weeks of concerts in and around the Benedict Music Tent.
Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience, September 4 to 6, 2026, at Snowmass Town Park.

If your dates touch the Food & Wine Classic, Christmas week or X Games, book six months out. Our page on where to stay when Snowmass Town Park fills up covers the Labor Day squeeze.

Where to stay

Aspen is small enough to walk, so the choice is really about how close you want to be to the gondola and how much of a kitchen you need. Four properties from our selection:

Limelight Hotel Aspen, 355 South Monarch Street. A 126 room downtown hotel in brick and glass, a few minutes on foot from the Silver Queen Gondola. The lobby is the local après room, which makes it a better winter base than a summer one.
Aspen Square Condominium Hotel, 617 East Cooper Avenue. One hundred and one privately owned condominiums run with hotel service, with kitchens and balconies, one short block from the gondola plaza. The kitchen matters in mud season, when restaurants close.
W Aspen, 550 South Spring Street. Eighty-eight rooms at the foot of the mountain, built in grey limestone and Montana timber with a rooftop pool deck. Suits a short, social winter weekend.
Hearthstone House Aspen, 134 East Hyman Avenue. Sixteen rooms in an early 1960s lodge by Robin Molny, who trained with Frank Lloyd Wright, and designated historic by the city council. The quiet choice, and the right size for September.

Brick Victorian storefronts on a downtown Aspen street with Aspen Mountain rising green behind the rooftops

Downtown Aspen with the mountain behind it. The town is small enough to walk, so the choice is really how close you want to be to the gondola. Photo : Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

For the area-by-area version, see where to stay near the Aspen ski resorts.

FAQ

What is the best month to visit Aspen?

March for skiing and September for everything else. March is the snowiest month on the City of Aspen record at 27.3 in (69 cm) and brings the average high back to 46 °F (8 °C). September pairs a 72 °F (22 °C) average high with the aspen turn and no crowd, and every road and trail is still open.

When does the Aspen ski season start and end?

For 2026/27, Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open on November 26, 2026, and Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk on December 12. Closing is staggered: Buttermilk on April 4, 2027, Aspen Highlands and Snowmass on April 11, and Aspen Mountain on April 18, conditions allowing. Aspen Skiing Company publishes these dates each September.

What is mud season in Aspen?

Mud season is the local name for the two off-seasons: roughly mid-April to mid-June, and mid-October to late November. The lifts stop, Maroon Creek Road closes, high trails are under snow or mud, and many restaurants and shops shut for staff holidays. Rates are at their lowest, but a large part of the town is not trading.

How much snow does Aspen get?

About 156.9 in (399 cm) a year in town, on the City of Aspen record kept since 1934. The ski mountains get roughly twice that, around 300 in (762 cm) according to Aspen Skiing Company. The spread between seasons is wide: the town record runs from 59.1 in in its worst year to 278 in in its best, and 2025-26 delivered 108.1 in.

Is Aspen worth visiting in summer?

Yes, and it is the cheaper of the two high seasons. July averages 82 °F (28 °C) by day and 48 °F (9 °C) at night, with no humidity. The Silver Queen Gondola runs daily from about June 20 to September 7, Maroon Bells is open with reservations from May 15 to October 31, and Independence Pass is driveable from roughly Memorial Day to mid-October.

When do the aspen trees change color near Aspen?

Between mid-September and early October, according to Aspen Skiing Company, with the exact timing varying by elevation and by the weather of that particular year. The high groves above Maroon Lake and along Castle Creek Road turn first; the valley floor follows. By mid-October the leaves are usually down.

Do I need a reservation for Maroon Bells?

Yes, from May 15 to October 31. Both parking at Maroon Lake and the RFTA shuttle from Aspen Highlands require a booking across that whole window. The shuttle runs roughly every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting in late May and finishing in mid-October. Outside those dates, Maroon Creek Road is closed to vehicles.

What is the cheapest month to go to Aspen?

May, followed by early November and late April. All three fall inside an off-season, so rooms are at their lowest and a good share of the town is closed. Within the ski season, the cheapest stretch is late November and the first week of December, when only Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are turning and the base is still thin.