A series of storm systems will have most of Colorado’s high country blanketed in several inches of snow this weekend.
With a sharp southwesterly jet stream pumping in plenty of Pacific moisture, Friday morning should see heavy snow, especially south of the I-70 mountains and west of the continental divide. Colorado’s southern and western mountains will likely end up with the weekend’s highest snow totals. Some areas could see up to two feet of snow, especially in the San Juan mountain range of southwestern Colorado.
“When it comes to this moist west-southwest flow, it’s going to be the west and southwest facing (mountains that get the most snow),” said Kyle Fredin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Boulder. “The San Juans are going to do well. All mountain ranges are going to do fairly well with this.”
The heaviest snow for most of the mountains will be early Friday, but another batch of snow arrives on Saturday morning. Skiers and snowboarders should enjoy plenty of fresh snow on Saturday in particular, but Sunday night will feature another round of snow for Presidents Day skiers. First chairs on Saturday and Monday in particular will feature fresh overnight snows for most mountains, but again, the southern and western mountains will likely get the most.
All-in-all, it’s looking like an especially great weekend for Colorado skiers and snowboarders.
Statewide, Colorado is at 108 percent of its snowpack water equivalent season-to-date average, . The snow’s been fairly evenly distributed, with the lowest basin, the upper Rio Grande of southern Colorado, at 98 percent of average. The highest basin is the Arkansas River basin at 118 percent of average. These numbers will get a solid boost from this weekend’s snow.
Colorado 72-hour hour snow totals through Thursday morning, as measured by individual ski resorts:
Steamboat Springs: 17 inches
Winter Park: 10 inches
Aspen: 8 inches
Arapahoe Basin: 7 inches
Silverton: 7 inches
Beaver Creek: 6 inches
Eldora: 6 inches
ٴDzԱ:6 inches
Monarch Mountain: 6 inches
Powderhorn: 6 inches
Vail: 6 inches
Crested Butte: 5 inches
Purgatory: 5 inches
Breckenridge: 4 inches
Copper Mountain: 4 inches
Loveland: 4 inches
Telluride: 4 inches
Wolf Creek: 3 inches
Driving to and from Denver and the mountains
Friday night: We get a bit of a lull in the snow action on Friday night, so most drives from the Front Range into the mountains should be fine. After dark on Friday, you may find a few snow showers the further west and south you go in the state.
Sunday afternoon: The earlier you head back on Sunday, the better off you’ll likely be. Light snow moves in later in the day from the south and west. This could move into the Denver area after dark, and much of the mountains are looking at snow by Sunday afternoon. For Presidents Day travelers, Monday will feature snow throughout the day, especially south of I-70.
