Colorado Daily Snow

Heads up, there may be fresher snow! Read the latest Colorado Daily Snow

By Joel Gratz, Founding Meteorologist Posted 8 years ago April 27, 2015

Monday-morning leftovers plus the outlook through next week

Summary:

  • Heaviest snow on Sunday night fell well south of I-70
  • Abasin & Loveland should still provide leftover-powder conditions
  • Afternoon snow showers likely on Monday
  • Fewer or no afternoon showers Tuesday through Thursday
  • Afternoon showers creep back into the forecast for Friday through next week

 

Details:

Sunday and Sunday night were interesting. In general, most of the weather features that were predicted for Sunday actually occurred about 3 hours earlier than expected. A wave of heavier snow pushed across many mountains between about 11am through 3pm, forcing a closure of Vail Pass and creating excellent powder for everyone who was out skiing during the day on Sunday.

On Sunday night, snow fell heavily, as expected, for areas along and east of the divide, from about US50 south to New Mexico. This included Monarch, where webcams show that the deck tables are buried yet again. Further north at Abasin and Loveland, webcams make it look like little to no snow accumulated after 4pm, though it was lightly snowing as I drove through the area around 6pm. So my guess is that if you head out on Monday morning, you'll find soft snow leftover from the powder that fell from Saturday night through Sunday afternoon, and there could be a fresh coat on top of this as well.

Most of Sunday night's precipitation (near and north of I-70) fell in the foothills east of the divide but didn't not quite make it to the highest elevations of the divide. Winds were from the east throughout the atmosphere, which would point to the precipitation making it to the divide, though the storm is further south than last week's system, so perhaps we didn't have enough energy and lift to force the precipitation up into the higher eastern terrain.

Now, as of Monday morning at 6am, the radar shows that precipitation is continuing for areas east of the divide, along and south of US50 (Monarch and south). Further north, one final wave of heavier precipitation is pushing from east-to-west. It is near Denver at 6am and should bring snow to the eastern foothills during the morning. I don't know that this wave will make it up to Abasin and Loveland for the same reasons that I discussed above.

Colorado Snow Forecast - Radar
Source: weathertap.com

 

For the rest of Monday, the south-eastern foothills will continue to see snow, and other mountains should see a few afternoon showers pop up due to the moisture that is lingering as this storm departs.

Tuesday through Thursday look dry, with perhaps a tiny chance for an afternoon shower, though almost all areas will stay dry.

From Friday through early next week, moisture increases a bit and this may lead to more numerous afternoon and evening showers.

The next chance of steadier precipitation may arrive sometime next week as another slow-moving storm from the south increases moisture and lift over the state.

With warmer temperatures this week, all activities will be in play, with biking at lower elevations and skiing at higher elevations. It's the best of Colorado. Enjoy!

 

JOEL GRATZ


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Geography Key:

Northern Mountains
Steamboat, Granby, Beaver Creek, Vail, Ski Cooper, Copper, Breckenridge, Keystone, Loveland, Abasin, Winter Park, Berthoud Pass, Eldora, Rocky Mountain National Park, Cameron Pass

Along the Divide
Loveland, Abasin, Winter Park, Berthoud Pass

East of the Divide
Eldora, Rocky Mountain National Park, Cameron Pass

Central Mountains
Aspen, Sunlight, Monarch, Crested Butte, Irwin, Powderhorn

Southern Mountains
Telluride, Silverton, Durango, Wolf Creek (Telluride and Silverton are on the northern side of the southern mountains)

About Our Forecaster

Joel Gratz

Founding Meteorologist

Joel Gratz is the Founding Meteorologist of OpenSnow and has lived in Boulder, Colorado since 2003. Before moving to Colorado, he spent his childhood as a (not very fast) ski racer in eastern Pennsylvania.

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