In the waning days of January, Mother Nature got to work -- dropping her glorious bounty upon the mountains of the West, and finally giving skiers and snowboarders the deep powder they've been waiting for.

Skiers are hitting the slopes in Southwest Colorado, looking for some exercise and a short escape from the whirlwind of the COVID-19 pandemic and polarized politics, but even so, a sense of normalcy is hard to come by these days.

From how we ride the lifts to where we sleep and what we eat, ski areas are taking steps to minimize crowding and to curb opportunities for the virus to spread.

This week’s weather will feature very different weather across the country. While the east deals with much above-average temperatures, a winter-like chill and snow take over the west.

Halloween weekend and first days of November will feature forecast tricks and treats. With a leftover hurricane delivering snow to New England and ski areas opening in the west, this time of year is always a treat to build ski season excitement.

Thanks to two feet of new snow from last weekend's storm, Colorado's Wolf Creek Ski Area is the first area to open in Colorado, albeit, under strict COVID-19 protocol.

Colorado resort officials acknowledge that brainstorming for the 2020-21 season has stretched their minds more than ever. With Epic and Ikon pass protocols in place, the more independent mountains are rolling out their plans.

Unlike Vail Resorts, which last week announced a reservation system that requires pass holders to book high-season ski days well in advance, Wolf Creek is adjusting its pricing.

At Wolf Creek Ski Area in southern Colorado, with plenty of snow still clinging to the mountain, they were hoping to roll out what skiing looks like in the pandemic age.

On Thursday, Gov. Jared Polis extended a statewide ban on downhill ski operations until May 23 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

As all but a handful of U.S. resorts either suspend operations or shut down for the season, a number of them still permit skiers and riders to climb their slopes and get a few turns.

Plenty of sunshine to go around both east and west this week, but the west will see the most snow days. This week's SnoCast outlines the best conditions and best bets to hit the slopes through the weekend.

Anyone who hears the words "Colorado" and "powder" in the same sentence best expects "Wolf Creek" to follow closely behind.

Once there was a time when you reached age 60, you'd skied for free. Then you had to be 70. And now, at a half-dozen Western resorts, 80 is the new 60.

As we approach the final days of 2019, we'll have a pleasant mix of snow days, sunny days, and mild days to take in all that the weather has to offer on our favorite ski trails.

A powerful winter storm hit the western U.S. over the Thanksgiving holiday, delivering huge snow totals from California to the northeast. While the storm caused trouble during the busy holiday travel days, the snow made skiers and riders very thankful.

Several large storms will develop across the country in this week’s SnoCast. Great news as the ski season ramps up following the Thanksgiving holiday. Here are the latest details.

Heavy, accumulating snow will reach all the way south to San Diego’s mountains and dump up to two feet of snow in Arizona and the Four Corners.

We're saying goodbye to October’s tricks, and flipping the calendar to treats in November. The east will get a cool down, while the west benefits from an early start to the season.

With high-country temperatures prime for snowmaking help from Mother Nature, the West's ski and snowboard season is upon, as a quartet of ski and snowboard resorts are making noise about opening soon.