Forecast:
Snow showers continued on Monday as forecasted with 3 inches being reported at A-Basin and 6 inches additional at Keystone (4 fell yesterday and 2 last night). What got my attention was the Breckenridge snow camera that was deep! They are just over 2 weeks from opening! Light snow showers are possible again primarily north of I-70 Tuesday night (Winter Park- Steamboat). A stronger system moves in Wednesday night.
Below: Breckenridge snow cam Monday night (About 10 inches).
Here's a look at the Vail Cam: Heavy snow fell for several hours Monday morning.
Another cold front is going to drop into Colorado late Wednesday. Winds start out from the NW, so many resorts west of the Divide may get teased initially (Light) before shifting to the North and finally the NE late Wednesday night or Thursday morning. The highest amounts of snow will fall east of the Divide along the Foothills (4-9) from Boulder south. Peak snowfall will happen from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning. Models support moderate snowfall, for southern or central Summit County so it's possible that a chase to A-Basin or even Keystone is in the cards for Thursday morning (Early forecast is 4-6). Higher amounts could be found further south towards Breckenridge (Closed). Wildcards are Loveland, and Eldora with upslope (Easterly flow), but it's all going to depend on how far south the system pushes. The current trend is showing some isolated areas of 6-10 inches along or east of the Divide per the Euro and less on the GFS. Usually the GFS is more bullish than the Euro models but in this case it's the opposite. The Foothills west of Denver and especially south will easily score decent amounts on this quick moving storm. Keep your eyes out for the wildcard areas like Eldora (Closed) or Rocky Mountain National Park.
.png%5C%22)
Bottom Line: Chase along or east of the Divide for Thursday. Let's hope A-Basin or Keystone that are open report more than 3-5 inches on Thursday morning.
The extended forecast still is on track for a cold system to enter BC late this week. It might bring decent snowfall to many spots in Canada (Western and interior) before dropping some leftovers into the northern Cascades and Rockies. The trend is a northerly track but it's too far out to gain confidence.
Powderchaser Steve
