Winter weather systems inbound for Colorado have been evolving more frequently during early winter 2025-26, and the forecasted Thanksgiving system and the ones lining up behind it heading into December are no exception.

Prime example being the Thanksgiving storm. A change to greater snowfall in the northern and central mountains, not the southern mountains, is now forecast for Wednesday into Thursday, and then over the weekend.

But the southern mountains do see the potential for a lot of snow heading into the first week of December as winter storms line up over the first several days to hopefully drop much needed snow on the Centennial state.

Moment of Zen:

Recap:

Snow started falling in northern Colorado around sunset Monday night, and picked up steam heading into Tuesday morning.

Snowfall totals in the northern mountains were to the tune of between 4-7 inches, which was well above the earlier week’s forecast of between 1-2 inches.

Forecast:

On Wednesday, light snow showers return to the northern mountains mainly with between 1-2 inches possible for Thursday, Thanksgiving Day’s first chairs. The central and southern mountains should see no snow fall.

From Thursday to Friday afternoon, dry conditions are forecast, with daytime highs in upper 30s and low 40s and nighttime lows in the teens; snow-making continues at night.

From Friday afternoon/evening, hopefully this forecast holds, snow develops in the northern mountains from the northwest via trough, spreading snow into the central and southern mountains into Saturday morning.

The ECMWF model forecasts more widespread snow accumulations by Saturday morning, where as the GFS model forecasts snow accumulations mostly in the northern third of the state.

ECMWF:

GFS:

Snow returns Sunday as a cut-off low dips into south through Nevada while pushing moisture into Colorado’s western mountains.

By Sunday night/Monday morning, this system should have deposited moderate to heavy snowfall totals in the west-central and central mountains, and southern mountains.

The Euro model forecasts potential totals late Monday morning in the southern mountains between 18-26 inches, in the central mountains and additional 5-9 inches in the west-central mountains and 6-10 inches near the east-central mountains and in the northern mountains an additional 1-3 inches.

The GFS model still has nowhere near the possible snowfall totals as the first day of December starts, but with any luck the Euro model will pan out and Colorado’s high country will receive much needed snow.

ECMWF:

GFS:

Snow is forecast to continue into Tuesday night before the system exits eastward into New Mexico and north Texas.

Long-term forecast:

Overnight Wednesday into Wednesday morning, another system is forecast to approach Colorado from the northwest and bring more snow through Thursday, Dec. 4.

The Tuesday afternoon Euro model has snow confined to mostly the northern and central mountains with this Dec. 4 storm, with potential snowfall amounts between 3-6 inches.

Colorado could be under a high pressure dome after Thursday, Dec. 4 for about six or seven days before any unsettled weather dips southward into the state.

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

Arapahoe Basin – 2″

Aspen Highlands – Dec. 13

Aspen Mountain – Nov. 27

Beaver Creek – Delayed

Breckenridge – 0″

Buttermilk – Dec. 13

Cooper – Dec. 10

Copper Mountain – 0″

Crested Butte – 0″

Echo Mountain – TBD

Eldora Mountain – 0″

Granby Ranch – 0″

Hesperus – Closed for the season

Howelsen Hill – Nov. 29

Kendall Mountain – December

Keystone – 6″

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 – 3″

Wolf Creek – 0″