Snow is back in the forecast for Colorado, with two moderate storms bringing precipitation to all three mountain zones over the next five days.

Colorado’s snowpack is still hurting, but Mother Nature is chipping away at the deficit some, however, it is still in a rough spot at only 62% of median average.

Another multi-day sunny and dry period is on the horizon for the second full week of January, but the forecast isn’t all doom and gloom.

Recap:

Saturday and Sunday were very mild and sunny in Colorado’s high country, although some windy conditions existed Sunday across the Front Range and in Summit County. A wind gust of 70 mph was recorded at the Peak 6 summit at Breckenridge on early Sunday morning (6 a.m.) and again at mid-afternoon (3 p.m.) and a wind gust of 45 mph was recorded at the Eagle Wind summit at Winter Park.

The high temperature in Copper Mountain on Saturday was 38 degrees and on Sunday it was 40 degrees. The high temperature at Wolf Creek on Saturday was 41 degrees and on Sunday was 39 degrees.

Colorado snowpack:

Colorado’s snowpack has grown a bit over the last week, up from a pre-New Year’s Eve level of 57% of median average on Dec. 29 to 62% of median average on Jan. 4 and is a 4.2 inches of snow water equivalent, which is 2.5 inches below the snow water equivalent average of 6.7 inches for Jan. 4’s date.

For comparison, on Jan. 4, 2000, Colorado’s snowpack was at 62% of median average and held 3.9 inches of snow water equivalent within the snow. Winter 2000 ended slightly below median average, however, only time will tell if winter 2026 can follow 2000’s trajectory and not nose dive like winter 2002, which was the worst snowpack year in Colorado’s recorded snowpack history.

Forecast:

On Monday, snow began developing overnight and into the morning in the western, northwestern and northern mountains. The forecast calls for snow to continue through Monday night, ending overnight Tuesday for some fresh powder for most northern and some central and southern mountains ski areas.

Forecasted snowfall totals in the northern mountains are between 3-8 inches, in the central mountains between 3-7 inches and in the southern mountains between 1-5 inches but most of that snow could stay north of the northern San Juan Mountains even, giving only the Uncompahgre Mountains fresh flakes.

Tuesday and Wednesday are forecast to be dry and sunny while the state is between another storm system arriving Wednesday evening. This storm is trending toward being a bigger snow maker as well as all three mountain zones getting in on the action, including Denver, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.

Snow is forecast to fall from Wednesday evening through early Friday morning, with both Thursday and Friday being pseudo-powder days, especially the farther west one travels along Interstate 70, US 40 and Colorado 82. This storm is forecast to be colder than the beginning-of-week storm as its approach from the northwest on a trailing arm from the main low pressure system carrying it will pull some colder air southward into Colorado from the northern Plains.

Additional snowfall totals in the northern mountains are forecast to be between 5-8 inches, in the central mountains between 7-11 inches and in the southern mountains between 5-9 inches.

Possible flurries along the eastern side of the Continental Divide in the Front Range Mountains are possible from Friday to Saturday morning, with another trace-1.5 inches recorded as the storm exits the state completely.

Long-term forecast:

Starting Saturday another long, multi-day dry period is trending again for Colorado as the polar jet stream keeps any potential storms north of Colorado until around Saturday, Jan. 17. One saving grace the weather models are showing during this period is colder air sticking around each day more or less, meaning minimal snow melt is possible due to low sun angle, short days, and colder air at both the snow surface level and in the air.

More model runs will need rendering to dial in better details about this forecasted time period, but currently this forecast offers up the coldest temperatures overall during winter 2025-26 so far.

Colorado ski resorts 24-hour totals:

Arapahoe Basin – 0″

Aspen Highlands – 0″

Aspen Mountain – 0″

Beaver Creek – 0″

Breckenridge – 0″

Buttermilk – 0″

Cooper – 0″

Copper Mountain – 0″

Crested Butte – 0″

Cuchara – 0″

Echo Mountain – 0″

Eldora Mountain – 0″

Granby Ranch – 0″

Hesperus – Closed for the season

Howelsen Hill – 0″

Kendall Mountain – 0″

Keystone – 0″

Loveland – 0″

Monarch – 0″

Powderhorn – 0″

Purgatory – 0″

Silverton –

Snowmass – 0″

Steamboat – 0″

Sunlight – 0″

Telluride – 0″

Vail – 0″

Winter Park – 0″

Wolf Creek – 0″