I-70 Daily Snow
By Sam Collentine, Meteorologist Posted 3 years ago April 16, 2021
Just what we needed!
Summary
Plentiful powder on Friday morning. Tracking another round of heavy snow during the second half of Friday, followed by cool temps and a few lingering snow showers on Saturday. Dry and mostly sunny Sunday into Monday. A quick-hitting storm arrives Monday evening to deliver heavy snow and cold temps into Tuesday. Additional chances for snow during the final 10 days of April.
Short Term Forecast
I-70 Snow Conditions
I-70 Travel Conditions
Snow Forecast
Our latest round of snow delivered 3-10 inches to the I-70 mountain corridor for Friday morning's reports, with Winter Park at 10 inches and Breckenridge at 9 inches. This refresh is just what we needed as we head into the second half of April!
We'll now catch a short break on Friday morning as we receive a mix of sun, clouds, and a few lingering snow showers. Temps will start in the low teens on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with daytime highs in the 20s.
Our next round of snow will arrive during the second half of Friday. This quick-hitting wave will fire up heavy to intense snow showers through Friday evening and deliver 2-6 inches by Saturday morning. Additional snow showers will then follow on Saturday, especially on Saturday afternoon, though any accumulations should be light as the bulk of the action shifts into southern Colorado.
Cloud coverage will then quickly dissipate through Saturday night. This will provide us with a chilly but beautiful morning on Sunday, with clear skies and dry conditions continuing through Sunday night and into the first half of Monday.
Travel Forecast
Wet, slushy, and snowy road surfaces will continue, off-and-on, through Saturday morning.
The strong April sun will help to clear most road surfaces by midday Friday but very heavy snow showers could still quickly create slick and snowy road surfaces on Friday afternoon.
Expect slower travel speeds and road closures due to accidents at times through Saturday morning, especially near the Eisenhower Tunnel and over Vail Pass on Friday evening. Give yourself plenty of travel time and stay tuned to CDOT for the latest updates.
Dry road surfaces prevail on Sunday and continue through Monday.
Wet, icy, and snow-packed road surfaces will return on Monday night and into Tuesday. Cool temps and additional snow showers will keep wet and icy road surfaces in play from Wednesday, April 21 through Friday, April 23.
Extended Forecast
Looking ahead to the week of April 19 and beyond, we'll be tracking another quick-hitting but potent system come Monday night and into Tuesday.
Dry conditions should continue through Monday afternoon ahead of a strong cold front and the potential for heavy snow into early Tuesday morning. We'll go with a forecast of 2-6 inches.
We should catch a break on Tuesday, April 20, and into Wednesday, April 21, though temps will likely stay below-average under partly to mostly clouds skies.
Additional chances for snow will then follow around Thursday, April 22, and likely into the final days of April. Periods of sun will also be in-store but as of now, it does look like active weather will stick around through the final 10 days of the month.
Thanks for reading! Next update on Monday (4/19).
SAM COLLENTINE
P.S. Below are the projected closing dates for ski resorts along the I-70 mountain corridor. All dates are subject to change.
Arapahoe Basin: Early June 2021
Beaver Creek: April 11, 2021 (Closed)
Breckenridge: May 31, 2021
Copper Mountain: April 25, 2021
Keystone: April 11, 2021 (Closed)
Loveland: May 9, 2021
Vail: April 18, 2021
Winter Park: May 9, 2021
Click HERE to view the projected closing dates for every ski resort in Colorado.
About Our Forecaster
Sam Collentine
Meteorologist
Sam Collentine is the Chief Operating Officer of OpenSnow and lives in Basalt, Colorado. Before joining OpenSnow, he studied Atmospheric Science at the University of Colorado, spent time at Channel 7 News in Denver, and at the National Weather Service in Boulder.
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