Colorado’s snowpack is floating around record levels for winter 2022-23, and all that snow has made skiing and riding very good all season long. 

The statewide snowpack average on Sunday was 141%. But with nine days left to go until the median peak on April 8, is the chance of reaching 24.5 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) possible, especially with the consistency of storms rolling in?

Currently the state is at 20.8 inches SWE, only 3.7 inches away from equaling the maximum for April 8, but with drier weather forecast heading into April it will take a moist storm or storms to equal that number by then.

On April 20, 1993, the maximum snow water equivalent of 25.9 inches was recorded.

Snow water equivalent around the state is strong from north to south. The SNOTEL site on Rabbit Ears Pass shows 99% of median.  

In the central mountains around Aspen, the SNOTEL site near Independence Pass is 107% of median.

And the San Juans and southern mountains are tipping the charts with over 1.5 times average, particularly on Wolf Creek Pass, where its SNOTEL site is reporting 174% of median.

Winter 2022-23 is sitting in the top five for record snow water equivalent however, with the usually snowy month of April ahead.

SNOW REPORT:

Forecast:

Friday looks like a storm day and the powder day as snow starts ramping up tonight and overnight, with 2-8 inches expected around the state. The adage of “March in like a lion, out like a lamb” seems false this winter.

No joke too, April Fools’ Day, Saturday, could be a leftovers day, as the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts model forecasts snow showers adding up additional snow between 3-6 inches in the Park Range, Flattops, West Elk and Elk Ranges by first chair.

The first full week of April has yet another storm in the forecast between April 3-9. Details will become more clear heading into next week.

Recap:

“Brrr” was the word of the weekend. Day-time high temperatures on Saturday and Sunday were in the single digits to low teens, but between 2-9 inches fell across the state’s resorts over the weekend, adding onto the above average snowpack.

Powderhorn (18″ Sat-Mon) was the weekend winner, while other central mountain resorts like Snowmass (16″) and Aspen (14″) received a touch less. Northern resorts Steamboat (14″) and Beaver Creek (9″) topped the resorts closer to Denver and the Front Range.

Tuesday and Wednesday were dry, sunny and offered classic late-March skiing at all resorts. Temperatures were in the 20s and 30s.

Weekend recommendation:

Northern Mountains: Beaver Creek, Steamboat, Winter Park

Central Mountains: Powderhorn, Aspen/Snowmass

Southern Mountains: Telluride, Silverton 

SNOEWS: 

• Pro skier Gus Kenworthy ‘Ambushed’ people parked at the Dino lots in Golden Saturday, March 11. The idea: Give skiers and riders an option to either continue on to wherever they were going or join he and others at Arapahoe Basin for skiing and riding, lunch and a beach party.

Standing atop a party bus with a megaphone, Kenworthy called out to skiers and riders meeting at the infamous lot. 

“What’s up people of the Dino lot?,” Kenworthy said as the sun began rising over metro Denver. “I’m Gus Kenworthy and today I’m going to have a legendary day at Arapahoe Basin. Who’s going to join me?”

By sunrise the party bus was full and trekking west to “The Legend.”

What could only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime event, the skiers and riders were welcomed to the resort with a red carpet at drop off, then grabbed first chair 30 minutes after it stopped snowing and consumed some great snow.

Lunch with Kenworthy at Il Rifugio appeared tasty as Arapahoe Basin CEO Alan Henceroth looked on.

“Thanks you guys for getting ambushed,” Kenworthy said while cheers of beers happened with the skiers and riders. 

“I really enjoyed the Gullies, just getting in the middle of those just cruising down,” one rider said of his experience.

Kenworthy said of the skiing vibe in Colorado that “over the last few years it has changed a little bit, getting busier and more hectic, and I feel like today was a nice reminder of how fun skiing can be.”

“All stoke, no skill,” was one snowboarding woman’s slogan for the day as she enjoyed her first season on a board and first day at the Basin.

• Powderhorn announced Tuesday it is staying open for one more week. Skiing on the Grand Mesa has been top notch this winter with the resort reporting 342 inches for the season.

Along with Powderhorn, Steamboat, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, Aspen Mountain, and Copper Mountain all extended its season due to above average snow totals.

 Upcoming festivals: 

• SPRINGALICIOUS in Steamboat (April 1-9)
• Spring Splash + Bash at Winter Park (April 1-23)
• Taste of Vail in Vail (April 5-8)
• East Side Epic Fat Bike Series in Leadville (April 8)
• Gunbarrel Challenge at Monarch (April 16) 

SNOW LINKS:

RESORT REPORT:

Below are conditions for all Colorado resorts as of Wednesday afternoon.