It Hit Nearly 90 Degrees in Colorado This Week. Here's What That Heat Means for Your Summer.

We're going to be straight with you: this week's heat is not normal.

Temperatures across Colorado climbed above 90°F in late March — a month when mountain towns are typically still buried in snow and Front Range locals are pulling out their fleeces. It's the kind of weather that stops you mid-scroll and makes you ask: what does this summer actually look like?

It's a fair question. And as people who spend every single day out in this landscape, we want to give you an honest answer that will keep you safe and continuing to engage with Colorado's beautiful landscape.

What's Actually Happening Out There

Colorado's March 2026 heat is part of a larger, documented pattern. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center has flagged the southwestern U.S. for above-normal temperatures through spring and into summer. Meanwhile, early warm spells like this one accelerate snowmelt, which has cascading effects on everything from wildfire risk to river levels to trail conditions.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL network — which tracks snowpack across the Rockies in real time — is already showing concerning declines in key Colorado basins compared to historic medians for this time of year. Less snowpack now means less runoff later. That matters enormously for summer conditions.

This isn't doom and gloom. But it does mean this summer will require smarter planning than summers past.

Where We're Directing Our Energy This Summer: High Elevation

Here's the good news. Colorado's high country — we're talking 10,000, 12,000, 13,000 feet — operates on a different clock than the valleys and the Front Range. And in a hotter-than-normal year, that elevation advantage matters more than ever.

Above treeline, even a scorching summer day stays manageable. Afternoon temps in the high alpine regularly sit 20–30°F cooler than Denver or Pueblo. The terrain is dramatic, the air is clean, and the wildflowers don't care what's happening at lower elevations.

This is where we'll be spending our summer — and where we want to take you.

High-Alpine Guided Hiking

Colorado's high-altitude trail systems are extraordinary, and a warming climate is actually extending the accessible season at elevation. Passes that were snowbound into July are opening earlier. That means more time in some of the most stunning terrain on the continent.

Our guided hikes are led by people who know these mountains intimately — including how to read the afternoon storm patterns that are becoming more intense and less predictable as temperatures rise. You'll go farther, safer, with better stories to tell.

Winter & Snowpack-Dependent Experiences

Counterintuitive as it sounds, late-season ski and snowshoe opportunities may still exist at the highest elevations even as valleys bake. We'll keep an eye on conditions and offer guidance on where mountain snowpack is holding. When it is, we want to be up there.

How to Plan a Smart Colorado Summer in 2026

Go high. Prioritize activities above 9,000 feet. That elevation buffer is your best insurance against heat.

Go early in the day. Afternoon thunderstorms are intensifying with the heat. Plan to be off exposed ridges by early afternoon.

Be flexible on water. Check river conditions close to your trip date. We'll always give you current, honest info — even if it means suggesting a different adventure than you originally planned.

Book sooner rather than later. High-elevation guided experiences fill up fast in a summer when everyone is chasing the cool.

We're Not Going Anywhere

Colorado is changing. We're not going to pretend otherwise. But the mountains are still here, still spectacular, and still one of the best places on earth to spend a summer day — if you know where to go and how to move through them.

We do. And we'd love to take you.

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