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Purgatory
A view of the resort from the chairlift in the summer
A view of the resort from the chairlift in the summer
Purgatory is located in Colorado
Purgatory
Purgatory
Location in Colorado
Purgatory is located in the United States
Purgatory
Purgatory
Location in the United States
Location La Plata County, Colorado, United States
Nearest city Durango, Colorado
Coordinates 37°37′47″N 107°48′52″W / 37.62972°N 107.81444°W / 37.62972; -107.81444
Vertical 2,029 ft (618 m)
Top elevation 10,822 ft (3,299 m)
Base elevation 8,793 ft (2,680 m)
Skiable area 1,650 acres (6.7 km2)
Runs 105 total
Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg 22% beginner
Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg 35% intermediate
Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg 43% advanced
Longest run 1.3 mi (2.1 km)
Lift system 12 lifts: 1 high-speed six-person chairlift, 2 high-speed quad chairs, 3 triple chairs, 3 double chairs, 3 surface lifts
Lift capacity 15,000+ skiers/hr
Terrain parks 6
Snowfall 260 inches
Snowmaking 21%
Website http://www.purgatoryresort.com/
Aspens at Sunset, Purgatory
Aspens at Sunset, Purgatory

Purgatory Resort is a ski resort located in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado, 25 miles (42 km) north of the town of Durango. Established in 1965, Purgatory offers 105 trails, including 5 terrain parks, over 1,500 skiable acres, and 12 lifts, including one six-person and two high speed quad lifts. Average annual snowfall is 260 inches per year, and artificial snow is produced on approximately one-fifth of the mountain. The elevation at the summit is 10,822 feet (3,299 m), with a vertical drop of 2,029 feet (618 m).

Facilities

Facilities at the resort include condos that are rented out by their owners to vacationing tourists, a nightclub/bar at the bottom of the ski slopes by the chair lifts, a shuttle that goes back and forth from the resort to the nearby town of Durango, and a ski school with "bunny slopes". One of the more unusual features of the resort is an urgent care clinic, staffed by mid-level health care providers from the nearby town of Durango, Colorado. The on-site urgent care clinic is available anytime the slopes are open, and treats mostly ski related injuries. The Purgatory ski patrol takes injured skiers off the mountain directly to the clinic, expediting treatment and eliminating the need for patients to wait for an ambulance to respond from nearby Durango, Colorado.

Climate

Cascade and Rockwood 6.9 NNW are weather stations located near Purgatory Resort. Purgatory Resort has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), closely bordering on a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc).

Climate data for Cascade, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1986-2020 extremes: 8880ft (2707m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 61
(16)
65
(18)
74
(23)
74
(23)
86
(30)
90
(32)
95
(35)
89
(32)
97
(36)
82
(28)
80
(27)
61
(16)
97
(36)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 54.5
(12.5)
55.7
(13.2)
62.3
(16.8)
65.9
(18.8)
74.0
(23.3)
82.1
(27.8)
85.8
(29.9)
82.1
(27.8)
79.3
(26.3)
71.0
(21.7)
62.0
(16.7)
54.6
(12.6)
86.7
(30.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 40.9
(4.9)
42.5
(5.8)
48.9
(9.4)
52.4
(11.3)
61.2
(16.2)
71.5
(21.9)
76.4
(24.7)
73.4
(23.0)
67.4
(19.7)
58.2
(14.6)
47.2
(8.4)
40.0
(4.4)
56.7
(13.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 27.0
(−2.8)
28.4
(−2.0)
34.4
(1.3)
38.7
(3.7)
46.1
(7.8)
54.2
(12.3)
60.0
(15.6)
58.6
(14.8)
52.5
(11.4)
44.2
(6.8)
33.8
(1.0)
26.6
(−3.0)
42.0
(5.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 12.9
(−10.6)
14.5
(−9.7)
20.1
(−6.6)
25.1
(−3.8)
31.0
(−0.6)
37.2
(2.9)
43.9
(6.6)
44.0
(6.7)
37.7
(3.2)
30.3
(−0.9)
20.5
(−6.4)
13.2
(−10.4)
27.5
(−2.5)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −3.8
(−19.9)
−1.1
(−18.4)
5.1
(−14.9)
12.4
(−10.9)
20.6
(−6.3)
26.8
(−2.9)
36.4
(2.4)
37.5
(3.1)
27.5
(−2.5)
17.3
(−8.2)
2.6
(−16.3)
−5.0
(−20.6)
−7.3
(−21.8)
Record low °F (°C) −16
(−27)
−14
(−26)
−9
(−23)
−6
(−21)
6
(−14)
6
(−14)
18
(−8)
19
(−7)
6
(−14)
5
(−15)
−6
(−21)
−22
(−30)
−22
(−30)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.37
(86)
3.43
(87)
2.83
(72)
2.21
(56)
1.92
(49)
0.95
(24)
2.45
(62)
3.12
(79)
2.93
(74)
2.84
(72)
2.89
(73)
3.29
(84)
32.23
(818)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 41.7
(106)
45.8
(116)
33.8
(86)
9.7
(25)
10.8
(27)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.5
(1.3)
4.1
(10)
19.7
(50)
54.1
(137)
220.3
(558.55)
Source 1: XMACIS2 (Cascade normals & Rockwood 6.9 2015-2022 snowfall)
Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation)
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