Before getting to the weather, here are a few more reader-submitted photos.

It's super fun to ski pow at Steamboat, especially in October! Hopefully, there are more powder days in the not-too-distant-future!

Ridge in the west

For the last few days, there has been a large ridge of high pressure over the western US. In the water vapor satellite image below, you can see how the clouds generally arc to the north of the western US and then drive south just east of Colorado on the right side of the image.

The flow of weather around the ridge of high pressure is clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and that's what we're seeing with the clouds and moisture in the image above.

But, the quiet weather is over, for at least one day...

Storm #11 on Thursday afternoon

A cold front will arrive on Thursday, first in the late morning along the northern Colorado border, and it will sag south across Colorado through the day.

Expect snow to begin late morning to midday in the north, and continue through the late evening. The heaviest snow should be in the middle of this window, roughly during the mid-to-late afternoon on Thursday.

Because the brunt of the storm will slide across eastern Colorado, the deepest accumulations will be east of the divide and west of the metro area of Ft. Collins / Boulder / Denver / Colorado Springs.

Here is the snow forecast from the CAIC 4km WRF model:

That eight-inch bullseye over Eldora is possible, as a few other models show this as well, but in general, I'd say that 3-6 inches are likely in the foothills east of the divide with roughly a coating to 2 inches near and west of the divide.

Also, temperatures will be cold enough for snowflakes to fall around the Denver metro area. During the heaviest snow in the Denver metro area on Thursday afternoon, most roads will stay wet, though a few bridges and especially areas of slightly higher elevation to the west and southwest of Denver may see some accumulation on the roads.

The snow on Thursday afternoon should end by Thursday late evening.

Following Thursday's storm, most of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be dry with temperatures warming a bit each day.

As a weak system slides to the northeast of Colorado, there is a chance for a few flurries or snow showers in the far northeastern mountains over the weekend at places like Cameron Pass and Rocky Mountain National Park, but any snow accumulations should be light.

Looking further ahead, the next chance of more widespread snow will be next Monday and/or Tuesday, right around Halloween. Once again, this storm could bring the heaviest snow to areas east of the divide.

Beyond that, the pattern should become a bit more active as we move into early November. The temperature outlook for October 30 - November 3 shows that Colorado will be on the edge of the storm track with cooler air to the east and warmer air to the west.

It's likely that the 'edge' of the storm track will shift a bit further west in early November, and that could open the door for a few more storms to track toward Colorado from the northwest and west-northwest. If this happens, and we get stormier as we move into the first week or two of November, the timing couldn't be more perfect. Let's hope for the best!

Thanks for reading!

JOEL GRATZ

Colorado Forecast Page → https://opensnow.com/state/co

Next Talk

I'll be giving a talk at Bentgate Mountaineering in Golden on Nov 8th. See you there!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1209665705844183/

Charity Auction in Vail

A reader let me know about this contest. The proceeds are used to fund a local Vail educational non-profit and the winner gets a 7-night stay at the Four Seasons plus 5 nights of dining at upscale restaurants. More information here: http://opsw.co/2zEWEc4

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, Echo, Rocky Mountain National Park, Cameron Pass

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

Southern Mountains
Telluride, Silverton – north side of the southern mountains | Purgatory, Wolf Creek – south side of the southern mountains