All weather information is from OpenSnow.com
Colorado
On Wednesday night, the steadiest snow fell in the southern mountains (2-10 inches) while most other central and northern mountains received a dusting to an inch. We’ll see a similar pattern on Thursday, with the next storm bringing 3-6 inches to most mountains from Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. The final storm in the series should drop another 2-4+ inches from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. Snow conditions should be soft through the weekend due to these storms plus cold temperatures. Early next week will be dry then we should see more snow during the middle and end of next week.
Wednesday was dry and sunny for most areas, then clouds moved in during the afternoon as the next storm from the south moved closer to Colorado.
Short Term Forecast
On Wednesday night, this southern storm brought steady snow to the southern mountains with lighter snow in the central and northern mountains. The storm totals from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning at 5 am:
Northern Mountains
Steamboat – 1”
Others – dusting
Central Mountains
Powderhorn – 3”
Crested Butte – 1”
Monarch -1”
Snowmass – 1”
Sunlight – 1”
Others – dusting
Southern Mountains
Wolf Creek – 20” (wowzers!)
Cimarron Mountain Club – 5″
Silverton – 5”
Purgatory – 3”
Telluride – 2”
On Thursday we will see a similar snowfall pattern as Wednesday night with the southern mountains favored for an additional 3-6 inches while the central and northern mountains see snow showers and potentially 1-3 inches.
On Thursday night, the snow showers should end, though there could be light additional accumulations, especially in the southern mountains.
Then the next storm will bring snow from midday Friday through early Saturday morning with the southern mountains getting 4-8 inches and most other mountains in the 3-6 inch range.
After a short break on Saturday morning through midday, the final storm will bring snow from Saturday afternoon through Sunday midday with an additional 2-5 inches.
* The best powder will likely be on Thursday (southern mountains), Saturday morning (all mountains), Sunday morning (all mountains).
A few inches of snow every 24-36 hours may not seem amazing but it can add up to super soft and fun conditions.
The only downside about this storm cycle is that temperatures will be cold on Saturday and Sunday, perhaps just a bit too cold for the atmosphere to produce a lot of snow. It’s right on the borderline between the cold temperatures we need for fluffy snow and having temperatures that are too cold and getting smaller flakes and slower and denser snow.
See Joel Gratz’s original post on OpenSnow.com
Utah
A series of storms will bring frequent snowfall to the region over the next week. Cold temperatures will keep the snow quality high. Should be a great weekend for snow enthusiasts!
Short Term Forecast
A series of storms will continue to impact Utah thru next week. In general, these systems are in the weak to moderate range with continental storm tracks that limit moisture. However, snow totals will add up quickly. Cold temperatures will keep the snow quality high as well as allow for high snow to water ratios.
First storm pushes in tonight. This storm has been tracking farther north which is good news for Northern Utah as it was previously expected to mainly impact the southern half of the state. Snow showers will develop in the mountains late today, becoming more numerous and impacting valleys tonight into Friday morning. In general, I’d set expectations for mountain accumulations at 3-6″, however, there’s a good chance we could see more than that in places. At worst, Friday should have soft turns. At best, it could be a legit powder day.
A break Friday night into early Saturday before the next system pushes in Saturday afternoon. This system is fast-moving but should drop some snow Saturday night. Sunday again should feature some fresh snow.
A look at projected snowfall:
See Evan Thayer’s original post on OpenSnow.com
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