In the mountains, Steamboat and Eldora reported 4" and Winter Park 5" on the 6 am snow reports, and I heard reports of another four inches falling at Winter Park by midday, and I also heard that many areas of Winter Park (i.e. Mary Jane) and Steamboat were skiing much deeper than the snow reports indicated. I also hear that Breckenridge was skiing well today, so parts of Summit County may have done better than forecast. Additionally, I saw some pictures from Loveland which indicated they were getting some good snow.
The snow tapered off this afternoon once winds switched to the northeast (which brought snow to Denver and Boulder instead), but another round of snow will move through the northern Colorado again overnight into Friday, bringing as much as several inches to some of the same areas that saw snow last night and this morning.
Models indicate an additional 5-10" for Steamboat and the Park Range as well as the Front Range Mountains from the Wyoming border southward to Loveland Pass and the I-70 area. I expect Steamboat, Winter Park, Loveland, and Eldora to have the best snow conditions tomorrow out of the ski resorts (and maybe A-Basin as well). Eldora could have the best "under-the-radar" powder day, since they have been receiving both "spill-over" snow crossing over the Continental Divide (Eldora sits east of the divide), as well as upslope snow today from the east. Summit County and Vail should see a few more inches as well... overall probably not as much as the Front Range, but there could be a few surprises in this region.
Dry, warmer weather for the weekend, but very windy for the Front Range mountains
Temperatures will start out in the teens around the metro area tomorrow morning (upper single digits in foothills), and are expected to warm into the 30's tomorrow afternoon. We aren't likely to see much sun tomorrow, though, as the system I mentioned above moves through northern Colorado and produces cloudy skies. This weekend, a high pressure ridge moves in and temperatures will warm up dramatically on Saturday after a chilly start (morning low in the teens, afternoon high in the mid to upper 50's!). Highs will be in the 50's again on Sunday, before a cold front cools things off on Monday. All in all, it should be a beautiful holiday weekend in the city.
In the mountains, we will see milder temperatures as well, but it's also going to be windy, especially for the Front Range, under a strong westerly flow. Ridge tops and mountain tops will likely see wind gusts of over 50 mph on Saturday and Sunday, so skiers/riders at places like A-Basin, Loveland, Winter Park, Eldora, and even Breck and Keystone, should be prepared. I wouldn't be surprised to see some closures at high lifts such as Chair 9 at Loveland and Panoramic at Winter Park. The Front Range mountains will see the strongest winds, but areas farther south along the Continental Divide will see strong winds as well.
As far as temperatures go, base areas will likely see highs reach the 30's, while higher up, the winds will make things feel much colder, so don't be fooled by the mild base area temperatures. In the backcountry, warmer temperatures may help to settle the snowpack a little bit below treeline, but strong winds above treeline coupled with the recent snow, will create dangerous wind slabs.
The next storm system will reach Colorado on Monday, but this looks like a fairly weak system that will only give northern and central Colorado a glancing blow, perhaps dropping a few inches of snow. By the middle of next week, a more potent storm will affect the area, and things look active through next weekend. This is still a week away, but the models have consistently been hinting at this, so it will be something to keep an eye on.
Next update coming on Saturday...
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