Snow has finally made it onto slopes from Silverton to Steamboat, including in Summit, Grand and Eagle counties, after a three-day winter storm piled up multiple feet.

Northern Colorado is getting its fill throughout the day Monday as the low pressure systems spins over the state one more time before dissipating onto the eastern Plains.

Moment of ZEN:

Snowmaking should be able to commence for a day or two early week, helping build on Mother Nature’s delivery of natural snow.

Recap:

Twenty one inches of snow fell at Wolf Creek Ski Area over the weekend. It was enough to allow Wolf Creek to announce it is opening for the winter 2024-25 skiing and riding season on Tuesday.

Lesser snow amounts accumulated on the other side of the San Juan Mountains at Purgatory Mountain Resort and Telluride, however, in the northern San Juans, 12-24 inches fell around Silverton.

The driving factor of this storm as a slow moving cut-off low sitting over the Arizona/New Mexico state line.

The satellite loop of the southern Rockies from Friday to Saturday shows the plumes of clouds pushing northward into Colorado, lifting copious amounts of moisture upward and delivering snow over several hours.

The low continued its march northeastward and delivered several more inches to the northern mountains overnight Sunday into Monday.

Forecast:

On Monday, snow will continue through the morning, ending in the afternoon with snow accumulations above 9,000 feet mostly north of US Hwy 50 and west of the Continental Divide.

Tuesday and Wednesday are forecast to be dry, with sun and warming, however, temperatures at night are in the prime range for snowmaking.

Thursday through Sunday will continue to be warm and dry out the atmosphere more, with a slight chance of showers in the northern mountains on Thursday via a passing front through Wyoming and Montana.

The ECMWF IFS synoptic composite model forecasts this storm could deliver a few inches to the Park (Steamboat) and southern Medicine Bow (Cameron Pass) ranges, but looks like the snow will stay in Wyoming (Snowy Range) and north.

Fall and winter times of year are when winds begin to pick up around Colorado’s mountains as more cold fronts begin their push southward as winter nears.

Long Range:

Friday through next Monday continue to have sunny skies, dry and warm conditions.

Next Tuesday is the state’s next chance for precipitation, with a weather disturbance setting up over the western US.

Heading into Tuesday, the GFS model forecasts a sagging jet stream and subsequent cold front pushing into Colorado from Utah, bringing with it the chance of state-wide snows for the mountains and rain for the valleys.

More detailed potential snow accumulations will be assessed as the storm nears. It is possible one or two more Colorado ski areas will be open for the season by this storm’s arrival, however, conditions will need to be favorable for those areas that can make snow in order for that to happen.

Editor’s note: Wolf Creek Ski Area is open for the season as of Oct. 22, however, once a few more ski areas and resorts open for the season, the Whiteout ski area conditions map will be updated daily with information about conditions, open trails and 24-hour snow totals.

Today’s 24 hour snow totals from Colorado resorts:

Arapahoe Basin – Closed for season

Aspen Highlands – Closed for season

Aspen Mountain – Closed for season

Beaver Creek – Closed for season

Breckenridge – Closed for season

Buttermilk – Closed for season

Cooper – Closed for season

Copper Mountain – Closed for season

Crested Butte – Closed for season

Echo Mountain – Closed for season

Eldora Mountain – Closed for season

Granby Ranch – Closed for season

Hesperus – Closed for season

Howelsen Hill – Closed for season

Kendall Mountain – Closed for season

Keystone – Closed for season

Loveland – Closed for season

Monarch – Closed for season

Powderhorn – Closed for season

Purgatory – Closed for season

Silverton – Closed for season

Snowmass – Closed for season

Steamboat – Closed for season

Sunlight – Closed for season

Telluride – Closed for season

Vail – Closed for season

Winter Park – Closed for season

Wolf Creek – Early season conditions, 21″, Opens Oct. 22