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Forecast

The resorts along the I-70 mountain corridor are reporting 6-13 inches on Friday morning, with Breckenridge leading the initial wave with 9 inches on Thursday night and 13 inches over the past 24 hours.

Click HERE for the full rundown of reports for the I-70 mountain corridor.

There will be great conditions to enjoy for first chair Friday morning no matter where you go so get out and there and slash some POW!

This initial wave will continue to deliver moderate to heavy snow through Friday morning. Look for an additional 2-5 inches before we catch a short break on Friday afternoon and into Friday evening. I can't completely rule out lingering snow showers but amounts will be light.

Our full attention will then turn to Friday night through Saturday as another strong wave targets Colorado. As I've mentioned all week, moist air, winds from the west, the jet stream directly overhead, and a sagging cold front from the north will all combine to bring us another good round of heavy snowfall.

In total, look for an additional 6-12 inches from Friday night through Saturday, with even deeper totals certainly possible. This will provide great storm skiing on Saturday but strong winds and intense snowfall will create low-visibility conditions. Sunday morning will also be a great time to get out as the colder temps and light snow continues so, in summary, this weekend won't disappoint for soft snow and great mid-December conditions.

For travel, all road surfaces will remain completely snow-packed from west of Georgetown through Avon on Friday morning. They could improve during the short break in the weather on Friday afternoon and evening but snow-packed conditions will still be encountered. We'll then be looking for much of the same from Friday night through Saturday as the second wave of very heavy snow arrives. Expect very slow travel speeds, accidents, and subsequent road closures from late Friday night through Saturday night.

As I mentioned above, waves of heavy to intense snowfall (1-2+ inches/hour) are possible for Friday night and Saturday and even though CDOT will do there best to clear the roads, travel will be very difficult at times. Plan to give yourself a lot of extra travel time through Saturday night and remember to keep a close eye on CDOT and our I-70 cams for the latest updates.

Following the fun on Friday, Saturday, and into Sunday, the storm will begin to move to our east through Sunday night and into Monday. Daytime highs will rise into the teens on Sunday and only into the single-digits to low teens on Monday. 

The road surfaces will remain icy and snow-packed through Monday morning before they begin to clear and become mostly dry during the second half of Monday. Expect slower travel speeds through Sunday night and into Monday morning ahead of normal travel speeds beginning on Monday afternoon.

Looking further ahead, chilly but dry conditions will remain in place on Tuesday ahead of warmer temperatures arriving on Wednesday, December 18th. At this point, it continues to look like warmer temperatures and dry conditions will remain in place through Sunday, December 22nd. There are signals for additional chances for snow during the final 7-10 days of December but we'll get into those details as they become more clear.

Thanks for reading, travel safe, and stay tuned!

SAM COLLENTINE

OpenSnow Apparel

We have special edition OpenSnow apparel that is available to buy only for a limited time! The pop-up shop includes a “Dreaming of Powder” T-Shirt (photo above), an OpenSnow-branded Beanie, Hoodies, and Athletic Apparel. Order by December 18th for delivery in January 2020.

Link to Order → opsw.co/OSApparel

I-70 Snow Forecasts & Reports

Arapahoe Basin

Beaver Creek

Breckenridge

Copper Mountain

Echo Mountain

Keystone

Loveland

Vail

Winter Park

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Snow Tires & Traction

When a "Code 15" of the Chain Law is in effect, all vehicles must have one of the following in order to proceed:

1) Snow tires with a minimum of 3/16” of tread; or
2) All-weather tires with a mud and snow (M/S) mark with 3/16” of tread; or
3) Four-wheel drive with 3/16” of tread; or
4) Traction devices (chains, auto-sock, etc.) for two-wheel-drive tires.

I can't recommend snow tires enough. It's not only for your own safety and peace of mind but for the other travelers around you. Visit CDOT.com for more information and their Tires & Chains FAQ.