Sunday was another gorgeous day with mostly sunny skies, light winds, and high temperatures that generally topped out in the upper 20s to mid-30s (the far southern mountains saw some 40s). Sunday was not a powder day, but it was still fun to be out. At Copper, when skiing with a friend, my four-year-old son, and his two six-year-old friends, we found mostly soft and grippy snow across the mountain thanks to cool temperatures and the low sun angle.

Monday

Now on Monday morning, we are waking up to strong temperature inversions where the valleys are much colder than the surrounding mountains. This often happens during nights with clear skies, light winds, and snow cover on the ground as the colder, denser air settles into the valleys. The map below shows temperatures near Crested Butte with readings close to 0°F down in the valleys and teens and 20s up on the ridges. While the map only shows Crested Butte, these strong temperature inversions are happening in valleys across the state.

If you're heading out on Monday morning, expect the temperature to warm up as you head up the hill.

Monday and Tuesday

Other than the morning temperature inversion, Monday and Tuesday will be quiet weather days. Monday will be a mostly sunny day with high temperatures in the upper 20s to mid-30s, and Tuesday will bring more clouds with cooler high temperatures in the 20s.

Tuesday Night to Thursday

Weak storm energy will likely bring some flakes to Colorado. On Tuesday night, the southern mountains could see some snow, and on Wednesday into Thursday, other mountains could see some flakes with most accumulations favoring areas near and east of the divide. Total snow during this time period should be light, from nothing to maybe a few inches. Temperatures will be cooler with highs in the teens and 20s.

Friday to Saturday

This will be our best chance for accumulating snow during the week. A decently strong storm should take an odd track across Colorado, moving from northeast to southwest. This is not a favorable setup for a lot of snow for us, but it appears that most mountains should see some flakes, with the best chance for the deeper snow totals near and east of the divide.

In the northern mountains at Berthoud Pass, the multi-model snow forecast shows Friday afternoon and evening as the best chance for 2-8 inches of snow.

And in the central mountains at Snowmass, Friday afternoon into Friday night is also the best chance for snow, with a range of anything from a dusting to 6+ inches.

Friday's storm will be the best chance to find fresh snow this week, and if the timing of the storm holds, the freshest turns could be Friday's last chair or Saturday's first chair.

Looking ahead to the final week of January, we could see another round of snow sometime between January 25-27, but like the last few storms, snow totals from this one look light and we still will not be in a favorable weather pattern for significant snow.

The good news is that all longer-range models are still showing a flip toward stormier and snowier weather in the western US and the Rockies starting around January 30-31 and continuing into early February.

It looks like we will flip from our current weather pattern with drier-than-average conditions…

…to a new pattern with stormier weather and the chance for snowier-than-average conditions.

I am not sure if this flip will happen during the last weekend of January or perhaps wait until the following week during the first few days of February. But overall, the change to a snowier pattern is becoming more and more likely with each new model run. For significant snow, I hate to be hanging onto the hope of a 2+ week forecast, but that's where we are right now, and the forecast is still looking good.

Thanks for reading!

JOEL GRATZ

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