On Thursday morning, light snow is falling on Steamboat with an on-mountain temperature in the low 20s. I expect just light snow and light accumulations for most of the day on Thursday because the wind from the east is not favorable for Steamboat. Later on Thursday afternoon and evening, the wind direction should switch to blow from the west. This westerly direction is favorable for snow at Steamboat and might bring a few inches after lifts close. If this happens, target Friday morning for soft turns.

Friday should be dry, then the next storm will bring snow from late Friday night through Saturday night. I am much more excited about this storm as the wind direction will be from the west or west-northwest and the jet stream will be overhead, and both of these factors should combine to create a good chance for significant snow. My early estimate is for 5-10+ inches with the best powder on Saturday afternoon and/or Sunday morning.

Most of Sunday should be dry, then there is a good chance that we'll see light snow return on Sunday night through Christmas day with perhaps 2-4 inches of accumulation. That would be a nice gift for Christmas morning, eh?

After that system, the storm track should favor northern Colorado next week, which is good news for Steamboat. However, it's too early to pin down the details of any snowfall after Christmas day. Stay tuned for daily updates each morning!

JOEL GRATZ, Meteorologist at OpenSnow.com