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Conditions

• New Snow (Mid Mountain snow stake)
  • 3” Monday 500am to Tuesday 500am (24 hours)
  • 3” Monday 500pm to Tuesday 500am (12 hours)

• New Snow (Summit snow stake)
  • 4” Monday 500am to Tuesday 500am (24 hours)
  • 4” Monday 500pm to Tuesday 500am (12 hours)

• Last Snowfall
  • 3-4” Monday Night (November 25-26)

• Snowpack
  • 70% of the 30-year average

• Terrain
  • 10 of 23 lifts
  • 18 of 181 trails

Monday Recap

Monday was a fun morning with 7 inches of new snow at mid-mountain and sunny skies. But we can't dwell on the past because the next storm is already underway.

Tuesday

Snow began to fall around Monday night at midnight, and as of Tuesday at 5 am, there are 3 inches at mid-mountain and 4 inches at the summit.

The excellent news is that a LOT of moisture will continue to flow into Colorado, and this will produce snow all day on Tuesday. I expect 5-10+ inches of accumulation and perhaps more due to the high amount of moisture in the air (a lot of moisture can create a lot of snow). There will be 'free refills' all day with a high temperature in the mid-to-upper 20s.

Previously I worried about warming temperatures and possibly rain mixing in around the base area, but the latest forecasts have cooled just a bit, so while this is still a risk later on Tuesday, I think precipitation will stay mostly/all snow. That said, warm temperatures should produce snow that's on the thicker/denser side. 

Tuesday Night

Intense snow will continue with another 5-10+ inches of accumulation. Temperatures will cool starting around midnight, so the snow that falls around and after midnight should become fluffier.

Wednesday

Wednesday morning should be a deep powder morning. The base will be soft due to the snow from Tuesday, and the snow on top should be fluffier and deeper due to the snow on Tuesday night. Temperatures during the day will be in the teens.

Some forecast models show the snow ending during the morning, but lingering moisture, storm energy, and a wind from the west-northwest could keep snow going with another 2-5+ inches of accumulation.

Longer Range

Thanksgiving Day will be the start of an extended period of dry weather that should last into mid-December.

The good news is that this week's snowfall will give us a solid base, more terrain should open on and just after Thanksgiving, and the low sun angle of early December will help to preserve our snowpack. Also, temperatures will stay cool with highs generally around 30°F.

At various times during the first two weeks of December, storms may clip Colorado as they track from central Canada toward the U.S. east coast, so there could be infrequent times of clouds and snow showers. But largely, the first two weeks of December will be dry.

The longer-range forecasts do show a tendency for the weather pattern to change starting around the middle of December, and I'll keep an eye on this. Hopefully, the second half of December will be snowier than the first half of the month.

Tap below to see our forecasts:

• Steamboat Resort (9,500 ft)
• Buffalo Pass (10,200 ft)
• Rabbit Ears Pass (9,500 ft)
• Town of Hayden (6,400 ft)

My next update will be on Wednesday morning.

Thanks for reading!

JOEL GRATZ
Meteorologist at OpenSnow.com