Despite mountain snowstorms this week, Colorado ski areas are closing early after a record-warm winter left slopes unusually dry.

The latest: Eldora ski area outside Nederland set its closure for Sunday instead of April 19 as originally planned.

• "As we wrap up the season, I want to thank our loyal guests who showed up smiling day in and day out to support their local hill," Andrew Gast, Eldora's president and general manager, said in a statement.

If you go: Eldora is offering $49 day tickets through Sunday.

• There will be live music at the mountain's base today through Sunday, and the theme for closing weekend is "retro weekend."
• Neither the Psychopath Hot Dog Alley Hot Dog Challenge nor the annual Pond Skim will take place as planned.

State of play: This winter ranks among the shortest seasons in recent memory.

• Delayed openings, limited terrain and record-low snowpack dealt a gut punch to mountain tourism.
• Boulder experienced its hottest March on record, and set 11 record highs during the last two weeks of the month, according to BoulderCAST.
• BoulderCAST also noted city also recorded its longest string of 80-degree days in March, its earliest recorded 85-degree day, and the most 80-degree days in March.

Catch up quick: Ski Cooper outside Leadville, Sunlight Mountain in Glenwood Springs, Monarch in Salida and Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs all closed last month.

• Wolf Creek, Snowmass, Crested Butte, Keystone and Steamboat will also end seasonal operations on Sunday.

One last run

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) board of directors could shrink by nearly half under a new proposal from state lawmakers aiming to overhaul the troubled agency.

Why it matters: RTD has struggled for years with safety concerns, slumping ridership and unreliable service across the eight Front Range counties it serves — and lawmakers argue its 15-member board is too large to fix those problems efficiently or effectively.

State of play: Bill co-sponsors state Sens. Matt Ball (D-Denver) and Iman Jodeh (D-Aurora) said earlier this week that the measure would cut the board to nine members to improve accountability and accelerate decision-making.

• RTD's board is nearly half the size of the state Senate, which Ball said makes consensus and oversight difficult. A smaller board could result in a more "nimble" operation that acts faster and more proactively, he added.

Between the lines: The proposal would also raise salaries and shift power toward the governor, who would appoint four of the nine members.

What's next: The board will review the bill to determine its impacts on the policymaking body and its customers, RTD spokesperson Tina Jaquez said in a statement.

• If approved, the changes would apply to the 2028 board elections, and would require redrawing current district maps for RTD.

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An orphaned red fox kit has a new family, of sorts.

State of play: Weld County police found the young fox abandoned on the side of the road last week, and it made its way to Boulder County's Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

• Greenwood posted a photo and asked for help getting the kit a stuffed friend that could play sounds to keep her company.
• Luckily, Mysti Tatro, Greenwood's community relations manager, said they "had an overwhelming response from folks who wanted to help get this cutie a friend."

Yes, but: Greenwood Wildlife is likely to need other supplies from donors for the wave of baby animals that usually arrive in the spring months.