Friday's storm delivered the wind that we expected with gusts of 40-60+ mph on the summits, and the snowfall was generally on the lower end of our expectations with most mountains reporting 3-5 inches.

There were higher amounts with Breckenridge and Steamboat reporting 6 inches, and the deepest totals were at Beaver Creek and Vail which both reported 9 inches.

Of the 9 inches that fell at Vail on Friday, 6 of those inches fell in about three hours between noon and 3 pm. A 2-inch-per-hour snowfall rate for three hours is fun to watch pile up.

Saturday

Now on Saturday, there will be leftover powder and soft conditions from Friday's storm. Also, light snow could move from the southern mountains to the northern mountains on Saturday midday, afternoon, and evening, and this might result in a few inches of accumulation.

We can see this light snow starting to stream into south-central Colorado on Saturday morning.

Sunday

Sunday will likely be a dry and mostly cloudy day as we'll be in between storms.

Next week is likely going to have something for every mountain with snow during many of the days.

Monday & Tuesday

Monday and Tuesday's weather will be tricky with a LOT of potential. The combination of a lot of moisture and the jet stream overhead for the better part of 48 hours will result in narrow bands of intense snowfall.

We can see these narrow bands of intense snowfall begin to show up on the higher-resolution models starting on Monday afternoon.

These narrow bands of intense snow could hit anywhere from Steamboat in the north to Aspen and Crested Butte in the central mountains to points in between along the I-70 corridor. I still have low confidence in the forecast but the models are slowly coalescing around a solution. Keep an eye on Monday and Tuesday for potential powder in the northern and central mountains and we'll work out the details as soon as we can.

Wednesday & Thursday

The storm on Wednesday and Thursday may target the southern and central mountains. Winds from the southwest and a lot of moisture could combine to bring a lot of snow, especially to the southern mountains, with powder possible on Wednesday and/or Thursday morning.

Thursday & Friday

These days could offer a short break between storms.

Saturday & Sunday (December 10-11)

It's likely that another storm will bring snow to Colorado during the weekend, though there is not much consistency around the forecast details, so we'll wait a few more days before trying to figure out this system.

Mid-December

The good news for the time after about December 11 is that all longer-range models show an active weather pattern across the western US. Whether this translates into a lot of snow or a little snow is impossible to know, but at least it's nice to see a lot of potential storm action.

Thanks for reading!

Joel Gratz

PS - Below, I added details about my two community talks next week.

Upcoming In-Person Presentations

Join me for in-person presentations this fall. These talks are fun (yes, powder science IS fun:-), and I'll discuss thoughts about the upcoming season and snow forecasting tips and tricks. Also, your attendance at many of these talks supports a local non-profit, so thank you for coming!

• UPDATE: Wed, Dec 7. Silverthorne (The Pad, 491 Rainbow Dr)
  - 600pm Doors Open
  - 630pm Presentation by Joel Gratz
  - Buy tickets here. The entire $10 ticket cost will be donated to the local non-profit FIRC.
  
  
• Fri, Dec 9. Basalt (Bristlecone Mountain Sports)
  - 700pm Doors Open & Refreshments
  - 730pm Presentation by Joel Gratz
  - Register here
  - Proceeds benefit Roaring Fork Conservancy
  - UPDATE: Tickets sold out, but there is a waitlist.
  
  

New Feature: Forecast Anywhere

You can now get a forecast for any location (on land) across the globe, and you can save any of these "Custom Locations" as a favorite. 

Any "Custom Location" comes with estimated 24-hour snowfall. This means that you can set a "Custom Location" for your favorite backcountry spot and get estimated snowfall and estimated snowfall history. Since most backcountry areas do not have snow measurement equipment located at that exact spot, this feature will be a useful way to get a general estimate of how much snow has fallen.

And, "Custom Locations" are private and no other OpenSnow users will be able to see the "Custom Locations" that you create.

You can learn more about Forecast Anywhere in this short how-to article.

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