Keystone March Skiing
Keystone in March: Overview
Pros:
- Good lodging base with nice variety
- Nearly half of the ski area faces north, which helps preserve snow in the March sun
- Keystone averages less snow than most other major ski resorts in Collard, but this matters less in March, when coverage is typically good everywhere
- Gondola near ski school gives families a good base camp for spring break tris in March
Cons:
- The awesome outdoor skating opportunities at Keystone tend to close down in March
- There can be crowds on weekends, as with any ski area on the Epic Pass within a couple of hours of Denver. Spring break skiers should aim for skiing Keystone Monday through Friday
The dual base area keeps things from getting too crowded, and lodging here is less than other Central Colorado ski areas. The ski area caters well to kids, and spring is when kids can make real strides because they can stay out all day in the mild temperatures of March.
Good long fall lines off of several different peaks give skiers options to find sparser-populated terrain during busier spring break weeks. As with most central Colorado resorts, skiers should get out early before late-rising spring breakers are on the slopes. The lower terrain on the skiers' left of the mountain can be deserted first thing.
Keystone snow in March
- Snow quantity at Keystone
- Snow quality at Keystone
- How much snow is required for proper terrain coverage at Keystone—steeper resorts require more snow to get 100% open.
- Keystone's snow frequency (standard deviation)
- Keystone's elevation
- Keystone's latitude
- Keystone's slope aspects - more north-facing slopes protect snow later into winter
Keystone has a good setup for March skiing, with 47% of its terrain facing north and a top elevation of nearly 12,000 feet. For skiers with initiative and some lung power, there are aspects that can be hiked away from the crowds; these slopes can hold cold snow well into March. Keystone also offers cat skiing for a daily fee. The terrain that the cat accesses isn't particularly steep, but there are usually stashes of good snow that is preserved well.
One of Keystone's strengths are the long shots that families can ski together; there are a number of 2,000-foot descents that give skiers of all abilities good options to find their own pace and terrain, which makes it a good mountain for families on spring break in March,
What matters when it comes to snow for March skiing:
Ski areas with higher elevations and more northerly latitudes can keep snow colder when thawing temperatures in March or during warming events degrade other resorts' snowpacks. Aspects have the same affect, so the snow at a ski resort with more east or south-facing slopes will suffer more quickly as the sun grows stronger into March and the later spring.
For that reason, ski resorts with more north-facing terrain will be able to shelter snow more thoroughly into and through March. The most important factors for good snow preservation in spring tend to be elevation and north aspects, so the ski resorts with the highest elevations and the highest percentage of north-facing slopes tend to be those that preserve their snow best. More explanation on this topic can be found on our snow rankings page.
Lots of east and south exposures coupled with cold temperatures at night can put ski slopes into a nasty freeze-thaw process, wherein the ski resort becomes an ice rink overnight and doesn't revert to being skiable until the sun thaws things out. If the sun doesn't come out, however, skiers can be stuck with terrible conditions for days on end.
So, quite simply, in March, look for resorts with high elevations and high percentages of north-facing terrain (~50%+).