Afternoon snow showers in northern Colorado throughout the week are possible Tuesday through Sunday as a west-to-east zonal flow skirts moisture across the state. Light snow could fall in the central and southern mountains, but won’t amount to much.

The last weekend of April (26 and 27) is forecast to be sunny and warm ahead of a potentially larger system from approximately Monday to Wednesday, April 30.

Chances for snow for the first few days of May are trending toward ‘yes’ as well.

Recap:

Six more ski areas closed operations for winter 2024-25 Sunday, leaving only five areas open for at least another week, but the skiing was excellent over the Easter weekend.

In case you missed the fun at Vail, here is a reel from the party at the ‘Chair 4 at 4’ celebration, plus other shenanigans throughout the day.

Light snow fell across the northern mountains Monday and Monday night, bringing about 1 inch. The only ski areas still open are all along either the Interstate 70 corridor or near the Continental Divide.

Forecast:

• Spring conditions across the mountains will tend to exist daily all week, however, some storm activity is forecast.

From Tuesday afternoon through night, snow showers will fire up across the northern mountains, with the heaviest snow in the Park and Medicine Bow ranges. Potential snowfall for Wednesday’s first chairs is forecast to be between 1-2 inches.

• Snow showers develop on Wednesday afternoon as well, with the potential for another 1-2 inches in the northern mountains for Thursday’s first chairs.

• Light snow showers centered along the Continental Divide and mountains north of Interstate 70 are forecast to happen Thursday and Friday afternoon as well, with additional snowfall totaling between 1-2 inches.

Lucky for late-season skiers and riders to take advantage of this mid-week snow, even if it is only a few inches, seeing that the forecast calls for the heaviest amounts near all five ski areas and resorts still open.

Grand snowfall totals heading into the weekend will be between 4-7 inches in the northern mountains, between 2-4 inches in the central mountains and between 1-3 inches in the southern mountains.

Long-term forecast:

• Staring Monday, a rather large, well-defined storm system tracks across central Colorado, potentially bringing heavy snowfall with it. The current European model has the storm spinning moisture and instability into Colorado from Utah, building over the Utah/Colorado border and laying down between 10-15 inches of snow north of I-70 by Wednesday, April 30 morning.

Snow showers develop early Monday morning in the southern and western mountains, becoming more widespread throughout the day.

Snow continues Monday night through Tuesday night, heavy at times, giving skiers and riders a storm riding day on Tuesday and a powder day on Wednesday.

The European model forecasts the heaviest snowfall north of I-70, but the central and southern mountains should receive ample accumulations to help replenish the melting snow in the southern river basins and give some good chances for backcountry skiing and riding during the storm and after the storm time frame.

As more forecast model renderings run, clearer details about snowfall totals, timing, and duration of the storm will hone in, but it looks like Colorado’s mountains and remaining open ski areas will get another round of snow ahead of May.

Today’s 24-hour snow totals for Colorado ski resorts:

Arapahoe Basin – 0″

Breckenridge – 0″

Copper Mountain – 0″

Loveland – 0″

Winter Park – 0″

Aspen Highlands – Closed for the season

Aspen Mountain – Closed for the season

Beaver Creek – Closed for the season

Buttermilk – Closed for the season

Cooper – Closed for the season

Crested Butte – Closed for the season

Echo Mountain – Closed for the season

Eldora Mountain – Closed for the season

Granby Ranch – Closed for the season

Hesperus – Closed for the season

Howelsen Hill – Closed for the season

Kendall Mountain – Closed for the season

Keystone – Closed for the season

Monarch – Closed for the season

Powderhorn – Closed for the season

Purgatory – Closed for the season

Silverton – Closed for the season

Snowmass – Closed for the season

Steamboat – Closed for the season

Sunlight – Closed for the season

Telluride – Closed for the season

Vail – Closed for the season

Wolf Creek – Closed for the season