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Conditions

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

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

• Last Snowfall
  • 1-2” Tuesday Night (December 24-25)

• Snowpack
  • 77% of the 30-year median

• Terrain
  • 20 of 23 lifts
  • 136 of 184 trails

Wednesday

Wednesday will unexpectedly start with a little fresh snow as 1-2 inches fell at the mid and upper mountain. I did not expect much or any snow by the morning, but it happened!

For the rest of Wednesday, the storm will track over southern Colorado. This is not an ideal track, but there could still be snow showers with light accumulation during the day, and the high temperature should be around 30°F.

Then on Wednesday evening, there will be a somewhat higher chance for a couple of inches of snow accumulation as the wind direction becomes more favorable.

Thursday

Thursday may start with softer turns if there is snow on Wednesday night. Otherwise, Thursday should be mostly dry with mostly cloudy skies, perhaps a few snow showers, and a high temperature in the mid-20s.

Thursday Night & Friday

A fast-moving storm will deliver snow on Thursday night, with 3-7+ inches possible from Thursday night through Friday morning. The conditions on Friday morning should be pretty soft, and we may see a break in the snowfall on Friday morning with a high temperature of around 20°F.

Friday Night & Saturday

Another fast-moving storm will deliver additional snow on Friday night. This storm should be stronger than the system on Thursday night, so more snow is possible with 5-10 inches being a real possibility from Friday afternoon to Saturday midday. Keep an eye on this storm as it might produce enough snow for powder on Saturday morning. Also, the latest forecast data shows that snow could continue throughout at least the first half of Saturday, so more signs are pointing toward Saturday as a potential powder day. Winds could be gusty, which could impact some lifts and the snow quality might be best in more protected areas.

Longer Range

I think Sunday, December 29 will be mostly dry, and then the next storm should bring snow from Sunday night through Monday night, with some powder possible during the day on Monday and also on Tuesday morning.

After that, there will likely be a few days of drier weather from January 1-4, and then more snow is likely during the January 5-7 timeframe.

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 Thursday morning.

Thanks for reading!

JOEL GRATZ
Meteorologist at OpenSnow.com