During the winter months watching the weather is just what we do. Every weather system coming our way is laden with fun (A.K.A. Powder) and when it snows in Colorado everyone is happy!
The New Year is kicking off to a fine start with the next round of winter weather sweeping in from the west over Steamboat, Vail and Beaver Creek. Skiers and Riders be ready - this one should be fun.
From Joel Gratz at opensnow.com:
Next Storm Wednesday – Saturday
All signs are pointing toward significant snowfall for most mountains.
On Wednesday we may see snowflakes start as early as the morning though the significant show should hold off until midday at Steamboat and until late afternoon or early evening for most other areas. Wednesday’s last chair could offer a bit of new snow but the storm will likely be a bit too late to make Wednesday afternoon powdery anywhere aside from Steamboat.
Snow will then fall heavily on Wednesday night into Thursday morning and I have high confidence that Thursday morning will be a moderate or even significant powder morning for many areas with 6+ inches of accumulation.
The best news is that multiple waves of energy will continue to move over Colorado on Thursday, Friday, and maybe even into Saturday morning. This means that snow will continue for the better part of 72 hours (with some breaks) and it’s these extended snow cycles that usually lead to the best conditions.
Total snowfall from Wednesday afternoon through Saturday morning should be 8-16+ inches based on the average of most models. Like yesterday, I’ll show the total precipitation forecast from the German ICON model as it presents a reasonable average forecast.
Colorado scores leftovers for late New Year's, into January 2nd. Currently, I am most optimistic in areas north of I-70 (Steamboat might score) with more moderate amounts along the I-70 corridor. January 2nd will be a powder day for Colorado with a moderate event for many areas favoring the north-central mountains. Double digits are not coming with high confidence initially Thursday morning with the exception of Rabbit Ears Pass or the upper elevations of the "Boat". Snow showers will continue into Friday.
