Light snow possible in Denver Thursday; Steamboat to pick up good snow through Friday

It was a little chillier than expected in Denver today thanks to gusty northwesterly winds part of a system moving into the northern Colorado mountains more quickly and with more energy than expected.  Tomorrow morning, a cold front will pass through the metro area around 10 a.m., bringing in clouds for most of the day.  Temperatures will rise little if any after the front passes, and we'll see high temperatures struggle to reach the freezing mark.  By tomorrow afternoon, under northeasterly winds, light snow is expected to arrive, and could be enough to make for a slow afternoon commute.  Snow totals will likely only be an inch or so for most (perhaps a couple of inches in the foothills), so this is nothing to get real excited about.

On Friday, unsettled conditions and clouds will remain in Denver with a few snow showers possible as the next leg of the system moves through Colorado, but there won't be much moisture to work with east of the Divide.  High pressure returns this weekend, and sunny skies and milder temperatures will return, with highs in Denver reaching the 50's on both Saturday and Sunday.  On Monday, temperatures will fall again as the next system moves through, perhaps bringing some snow to the city depending on the exact track of the storm and the amount of moisture available. 

Good snow for Steamboat, moderate snow for other parts of Northern Colorado

The storm system came in earlier and stronger than expected today, and it has been snowing in Steamboat for most of the day from what I have heard, and should continue into Thursday.  The second leg of the system will move through overnight Thursday into Friday, and while this leg doesn't look quite as strong, it should still favor Steamboat and the Park Range quite nicely.  The Steamboat region should see 10-15" total by the time things clear out Friday afternoon, and honestly I wouldn't be shocked if this storm over-performs and Steamboat gets one of its famous surprise big dumps with northwest winds and moisture hanging out over the Park Range through Friday.  

The Northern Front Range, including Cameron Pass and Rocky Mountain National Park, should see about 5-8", while areas farther south from the Indian Peaks to Berthoud Pass to Loveland Pass should see 3-6".  Summit County will likely miss out on most of the snow again, with only 1-4" expected, but Vail could end up with 4-8".  These are model-forecasted snow totals, but I'm inclined to think that Steamboat and the Front Range Mountains from Cameron Pass south to Berthoud Pass will do better.  Northwest winds, a northerly storm track, moisture, storm energy, and a relatively long duration should favor these areas.  I also think the forecast for Vail may be a bit too high.  I'll be interested to see how the actual snow amounts compare to the model forecasts.

At any rate, if you're looking to ski powder on Friday, Steamboat will be the place to be.  For backcountry skiing/riding, the Park Range, Cameron Pass, Berthoud Pass, and Rocky Mountain National Park should all be excellent this weekend.  Please be mindful of increasing avalanche danger, though, especially as the January weak layer continuing to be a problem.

Active pattern for next week

After a dry (but blustery in the mountains) weekend, the next storm system will affect Colorado on Monday (President's Day).  This no longer looks like a real impressive system, but nevertheless should bring light to moderate snow to parts of the state.  By the middle of next week, a better-looking storm will arrive, and in fact, it looks like next Wednesday through that weekend could be quite stormy for the mountains, which is great news for skiers and boarders.