For truckers and holiday travelers, Colorado weather is looking good through Thanksgiving.
Not so good for skiers.
Snow in the higher mountains this evening was “winding down,” National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Baker said. Chain laws had been lifted on Vail Pass, Loveland Pass, and Rabbit Ears Pass.
“We’re not into that strong flow we saw last winter. I don’t foresee that happening,” Baker said.
Nevertheless, a winter weather advisory for snow remained in effect until midnight with light snow concentrated north of Interstate 70, mostly east of Steamboat Springs and north of Rabbit Ears on the west sides of Jackson and Grand counties.
Southern and central parts of Colorado were relatively dry. Ski Cooper operators at Leadville, for example, are saying they will not be able to open ski runs before Thanksgiving. They’re looking at Dec. 2.
Earlier Saturday, enough snow fell on Vail Pass to flummox a few drivers. An accident in westbound lanes led to difficulties between noon and about 2:30 pm, Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Stacey Stegman said.
“And then, right as the tow trucks were pulling away, there were several other accidents,” Stegman said.
No serious injuries were reported.
State highway crews will remain on call. Construction work will cease Wednesday afternoon, Stegman said, minimizing impact on traffic around Thanksgiving.
Looking at weather service computer models, forecasters look ahead and see a 30 to 40 percent chance of snow Thursday night and Friday in the western and northern central mountains. That was expected to end by Saturday.
Most of the ski areas in Summit County were up and running, along with Vail to the west, and at Winter Park.
Temperatures remaining below 30 degrees have enabled effective artificial snow-making.
At Copper Mountain, five lifts were running, with nine trails open, resort spokesman David Roth said. One inch of new snow fell on Copper’s runs Saturday, adding to about a foot over the past week.
Overall ski conditions, Roth said, “are really good for this time of year.”
