Helpful Links

• Winter Park Snow Report
• Winter Park Cams
• Weather Radar

Conditions

• New Snow (Mid Mountain snow stake)
  • 7” Wednesday 500am to Thursday 500am (24 hours)
  • 0” Wednesday 500pm to Thursday 500am (12 hours)

• Last Snowfall
  • 41” Sunday Night to Wednesday (Feb 16-20)

• Snowpack
  • 116% of the 30-year average

• Terrain
  • 18 of 24 lifts
  • 157 of 171 trails

Wednesday Recap

Wednesday morning was special with 15 inches of fluff accumulating between Tuesday evening and Wednesday mid-morning.

Winter Park found itself with the perfect setup of winds from the northwest and north-northwest, lingering moisture, and a temperature between 5-10°F at the mountaintop (weather station link), which is right in the perfect zone for the formation of beautiful dendrite snowflakes.

These super deep, super fluffy days are rare, unforgettable, and very hard to forecast since the atmospheric conditions that produce them require every variable to be perfect over a small spec of the earth for ~12 hours. It is amazing that the atmosphere can make this happen, and it is so frustrating as a forecaster:-)

Thursday & Friday

On Thursday, conditions should be dry and mostly cloudy with a high temperature in the low-to-mid 20s. There could be snow showers at times during the day.

Then, starting on Thursday afternoon or evening, a storm will deliver snow through Friday morning.

I think 7-12 inches is a reasonable forecast with powder likely on Friday morning.

There are decent odds that the high side of the forecast is reached as the storm will strengthen overnight and the wind should blow from the north-northwest, north, or even north-northeast, which are all pretty favorable directions.

To summarize, there should be powder on Friday morning, and keep your eye on the snow stake to see if 'extra' snow accumulates and turns Friday morning into a deeper-than-expected first chair experience.

Longer Range

From Saturday, February 22 to Sunday, March 2, there should be dry weather with high temperatures in the upper 20s to mid-30s.

The only wrinkle in the forecast will be on Wednesday, February 26 when a storm could bring a few snowflakes and cooler temperatures.

Further ahead, the next chance for snow will start around Monday, March 3, and continue through that week of March 3-7.

Further ahead, the next higher chance for snow will be around and after March 3.

Tap below to see our forecasts:

• Winter Park (11,000 ft)
• Berthoud Pass (11,500 ft)
• I-70 Daily Snow

My next update will be on Friday morning. 

Thanks for reading!

JOEL GRATZ