The first big snow storm of winter 2025-26 for Colorado dropped about 10-20 inches in the northern mountains, 8-14 inches in the central mountains and 3-8 inches in the southern mountains.

Colorado’s snowpack doubled in both median average and snow water equivalent values over the first seven days of December.

Some light snow is forecast for the northern mountains for the first half of the week, then a dry spell could settle in as mid-month starts.

Moment of Zen:

Recap:

From late Friday night to early Sunday morning, a slow moving area of low pressure pushed ample moisture into the state for 40 hours or so, dropping 10-20 inches of snow in the northern mountains, 6-12 inches in the central mountains and 3-8 inches for the southern mountains.

According to the National Weather Service, the SNOTEL site at Mount Zirkel north of Steamboat recorded 33.6 inches of snow over the weekend and went from 1.8 inches of snow water equivalent to 5.5 inches from Dec. 4 to Dec. 7.

Further north, in the Medicine Bow Range of Wyoming, the SNOTEL site at Medicine Bow Peak west of Centennial, WY recorded a whopping 75 inches of snow in 48 hours.

Colorado’s snowpack:

On Sunday, Nov. 30, Colorado’s snowpack was at 37% of median average, with 1.3 inches of snow water equivalent calculated.

After a snowy first week of December, that average ascended 36 percentage points to 73% of median average, with 2.9 inches of snow water equivalent locked away in the snowpack.

Forecast:

Light snow develops Monday for the northern mountains, with the highest amounts forecast around the Park Range near Steamboat.

Snowfall accumulations are forecast to be between 1-3 inches in the northern mountains, a trace-1 inch in the northern central mountains and little to no snow in the southern mountains.

Snow is forecast to develop again Tuesday night, lasting through Wednesday night, with an additional 1-2 inches in the northern mountain for Thursday morning’s first chairs, and little to no snow for the central and southern mountains.

Long-term forecast:

From Thursday to Sunday night Colorado will be between storms as the jet stream keeps any areas of low pressure and associated moisture north of the state.

On Sunday, a fast moving low pressure out of the southwest is forecasting to pass through Colorado into Monday morning. However, this low pressure lacks moisture and could be mostly produce a wind event on Sunday and Monday.

The next possible larger storm for Colorado’s high country could be as far out as Wednesday, Dec. 17 through Thursday, Dec. 18.

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

Arapahoe Basin – 2″

Aspen Highlands – Dec. 13

Aspen Mountain – 0″

Beaver Creek – 0″

Breckenridge – 1″

Buttermilk – Dec. 13

Cooper – Dec. 10

Copper Mountain – 1″

Crested Butte – 0″

Echo Mountain – Dec. 12

Eldora Mountain – 2″

Granby Ranch – 0″

Hesperus – Closed for the season

Howelsen Hill – 1″

Kendall Mountain – Dec. 13

Keystone – 2″

Loveland – 1″

Monarch – 0″

Powderhorn – 0″

Purgatory – 0″

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

Snowmass – 0″

Steamboat – 2″

Sunlight – Dec. 12

Telluride – 0″

Vail – 1″

Winter Park – 1″

Wolf Creek – 0″