The good news is that most mountains have enough coverage to have some terrain open. And the sunny skies and comfortable daytime temperatures are a fine combination to get outside and make some turns.

The bad news is that we are stuck in a rut weatherwise with no significant storms coming up anytime soon and dry and mostly sunny weather each day. It'll feel like the movie Groundhog Day with each day being similar to the last.

Temperatures are borderline for snowmaking. Readings will get cold enough at night for some additional snowmaking, but with daytime highs ranging from the mid-30s to low-40s, we will not see around-the-clock snowmaking operations and this will keep new terrain openings to a minimum.

Our current high-elevation snowpack is 40-80% of average, and these numbers will dwindle during the next 7-10+ days as there is essentially no snow in the forecast.

Our only chance for a few flakes will be in the northern and eastern mountains on Tuesday, November 30, and between December 3-5. But both of these time periods will likely be dry as the main storm energy stays to our north and east.

I wish I could write that there's a light at the end of the 'high pressure' tunnel and that the weather pattern will become snowier on a specific date, but I don't see that in the data at this point.

I can say that the week of December 6-10 has a somewhat higher chance for a storm and snowfall compared to the 10 days between now and December 6, but that's just grasping at straws at this point.

For now, it's been fun to get out and practice skills with my four-year-old son and to get in shape with a little skinning. but in terms of skiing and riding powder, that is just a distant glimmer of light at this point. 

Thanks for reading!

JOEL GRATZ

PS – Scientists need your help to collect precipitation observations during winter. Join the community, and during winter storms, share what type of precipitation is falling from the sky. To sign up, text COrainsnow to 855-909-0798. You’ll receive 3 intro texts over the first 3 days, including the first one sharing the web app so you can send your observations. This is a NASA-funded project led by Lynker, the Desert Research Institute, and the University of Nevada, Reno.

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