Colorado Daily Snow

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

By Joel Gratz, Founding Meteorologist Posted 2 years ago May 4, 2021

Current snow totals & more storms through mid-May

Summary

On Monday, we saw additional snowfall across most mountains. On Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be showers mainly across the northern mountains. Thursday and Friday will be dry. Then we'll see two more storms with chances for snow between about May 8-12 and again around May 17-18.

Short Term Forecast

Monday brought continued snowfall, especially over the western half of the mountains and east of the divide. Below are the 48-hour snow totals from Sunday morning through Tuesday morning.

11" Breckenridge
11" RMNP (Bear Lake SNOTEL)
10" Cameron Pass (Joe Wright SNOTEL)
10" Eldora (closed)
10" Monarch Pass (Porphyry Creek SNOTEL)
9" Buffalo Pass (Tower SNOTEL)
8" Grand Mesa (Park Reservoir SNOTEL)
7" Crested Butte (Butte SNOTEL)
5-8" Vail (closed)
2-6" Aspen (closed)
4" Loveland
4" Winter Park
3" Arapahoe Basin

The snowpack across Colorado is the deepest (compared to average) over the northeastern mountains and it still looks like winter at the higher elevations around Loveland.

Now on Tuesday morning, conditions are mostly dry across the state with some lingering low and mid-level clouds.

On Tuesday afternoon and on Wednesday, showers will pop up especially over the northern mountains. I do not expect significant snow for most mountains, though higher-elevation snow squalls and lower-elevation rain showers are possible as the showers move through. Below is the forecast radar for Tuesday afternoon, showing the northern showers.

Thursday and Friday will be dry and the warmest days of the week with on-mountain high temperatures in the 50s.

Extended Forecast

It's amazing to say, but just like the last two weeks, the long-range forecast shows two more storm cycles with both starting on a weekend and extending into early the following week.

The next storm should bring showers on Saturday, May 8 with snowfall possibly continuing through Wednesday, May 12. Like the last storms, the deepest snow could be over the northern areas that are east of the divide. Temperatures will be rather warm, so snowfall should be mostly near and above 10,000 feet.

The following storm could arrive during the next weekend, around May 15-16, and continue into early the following week, around May 17-18.

While there will be more snow to talk about through mid-May, it'll be confined to the higher elevations, so I'm going on summer break and my last post of the season will be on Wednesday, May 5:-)

As we look ahead to spring and summer...

We now have snow forecasts for southern hemisphere ski areas! Use the map to zoom around and search for your favorite mountain. Or check out the powder finder.

Also, check out OpenSummit (website & app) which provides mountain-specific weather forecasts for hikes and summits across Colorado and the United States. Importantly, we include a forecast for lightning risk which is especially useful when planning adventures near and above treeline.

Thanks for reading!

JOEL GRATZ

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Geography Key

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

Along the Divide
Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, 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

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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