Winter returned to Colorado’s high country over the weekend, especially in the southern and central mountains.

The state’s snowpack is slowly rebounding as well, with the median average moved above 33%.

Thanksgiving week forecast shows more snow through the holiday weekend, but a larger and heavier snow event is possible over the first couple of days of December.

Recap:

Five ski areas were supposed to open over the weekend, but due to lack of snow or other weather conditions, only two areas opened, Wolf Creek and Steamboat.

Loveland Ski Area officially opened the newly replaced Lift 7 to the public on Friday. “This new lift is all about creating a better experience for our guests,” Rob Goodell, COO and Senior Vice President of Loveland Ski Area said. “By giving beginners more space and time to get comfortable loading, we’re helping families and new skiers feel confident from their very first run.”

Snow returned to Colorado, especially southern Colorado, over the weekend as several inches fell for Sunday morning in the southern and central mountains; Wolf Creek reported eight inches and Monarch Mountain one inch at 8 a.m., but showed about six inches at 4:35 p.m.

Colorado’s snowpack:

The state’s snowpack started Sunday at 33% of median average with 0.9 inches of snow water equivalent locked up in the snow.

By Monday morning those numbers had jumped, with the median average at 41% and 1.1 inches of snow water equivalent.

Also, the eight Colorado river basins are finally beginning to show signs of filling up with the five southern-most basins exceeding 50% of average. Compared to the start of the month when not one basin was above 20% of average.

Forecast:

Colorado is just south of a storm pushing through southern Montana and northern Wyoming on Monday, however, some light snow could fall in the northern mountains Monday night into Tuesday morning, with a trace-1 inch possible north of Interstate 70.

Snow is forecast to redevelop Tuesday night in the northern mountains and last into late night Wednesday or early Thursday morning (Thanksgiving Day).

Snowfall accumulations will be light with another 2-4 inches possible for the northern mountains for Thursday’s first chairs. The central and southern mountains should not see any accumulations.

Friday is forecast to be calm and cool as the state is between storms. Highs are forecast to be in the mid 30s at most base areas and mid 20s at the summits.

Long-term forecast:

On Thursday, ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend, an area of low pressure is forecast to push ashore into the Pacific northwest.

By Saturday, this low pressure will have pushed south-southeastward, with snow developing in northern Colorado on Saturday night and spreading across the rest of the state Sunday morning.

Snow continues into Monday afternoon/evening, Dec. 1, with the southern mountains benefiting the most from this storm.

Possible snowfall totals in the southern mountains could be significant, with between 18-24 inches, in the central mountains between 8-16 inches with the highest amounts around the Grand Mesa and in the northern mountains between 6-12 inches with the highest amounts in the Park Range and Flattops in northwestern Colorado.

Colorado ski resorts’ planned opening dates and 24-hour totals:

Arapahoe Basin – 0″

Aspen Highlands – Dec. 13

Aspen Mountain – Nov. 27

Beaver Creek – Delayed

Breckenridge – 0″

Buttermilk – Dec. 13

Cooper – Dec. 10

Copper Mountain – 0″

Crested Butte – Nov. 26

Echo Mountain – TBD

Eldora Mountain – 0″

Granby Ranch – Nov. 26

Hesperus – Closed for the season

Howelsen Hill – Nov. 29

Kendall Mountain – December

Keystone – 0″

Loveland – 0″

Monarch – Delayed

Powderhorn – Delayed

Purgatory – Delayed

Silverton – Private mountain after Dec. 1, Guided and Heli season Dec. 27

Snowmass – Nov. 27

Steamboat – 0″

Sunlight – Dec. 12

Telluride – Nov. 27

Vail – 0″

Winter Park – 6″

Wolf Creek – 0″