In The NoCo

How Colorado mountain town residents coped during a historically dismal ski season

By In The NoCo,

Published April 10, 2026 at 5:35 AM MDT

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On a mountain in Steamboat Springs, two blue signs sit on top of a pole wrapped with red padding. The blue sign on top reads "Town View" with an arrow pointing to the left. The blue sign on the bottom reads "Mountain View" with an arrow pointing to the right. Snow-covered mountains and a blue sky are in the background

It’s been a tough winter for skiers and snowboarders in Colorado. And that’s also rippling through the local economy of nearby resort towns.

Workers in bars and restaurants, backcountry gear shops, and hotels that depend on busy ski seasons are feeling the pinch. Many businesses are coping by cutting employee hours, not hiring some seasonal workers, or cutting back on overall spending.

Journalist Steve Knopper wrote in5280 Magazine about the economic ripple effects this low-snow season is creating beyond the ski resorts. His article is a snapshot of how a historically dry year is affecting the lives of the people who live and work in Colorado’s mountain towns.

Steve talked with Erin O'Toole about what he learned, and why he wanted to write this particular story now.

Courtesy Steve Knopper

In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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