Massive amounts of snow are headed for the Colorado mountains this week with two feet or more predicted for some locations.
Over the next five days, Steamboat is forecast to receive 29 inches, according to the OpenSnow forecasting and reporting service. Buffalo Pass near Steamboat could receive 27 inches and Cameron Pass, a popular backcountry destination west of Fort Collins, could get 22.
Areas that can expect 15 to 19 inches through Friday include Vail, Beaver Creek, Granby Ranch, some backcountry areas including Jones Pass and Vail Pass, and two Grand County cross country areas, Devil’s Thumb Ranch and Snow Mountain Ranch. Winter Park and Powderhorn are forecast to receive 14 inches and the Aspen areas can expect about a foot.
The storm arrives in southern Colorado first with Purgatory, Silverton and Wolf Creek expected to receive 5-10 inches on Monday. On Tuesday the focus moves to the northern and central mountains.
“This will be a fun week of snow throughout the state,” OpenSnow founding meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote in his forecast on Monday. “Early seasons are not often this good in terms of snow coverage and the number of powder days.”
It’s been a good snow season thus far for Colorado resorts with many reporting snowfall substantially above normal. Sunlight is 38% above normal and Snowmass 32% above normal.
Areas that are 15% above normal or more include Wolf Creek, Steamboat, Crested Butte, Beaver Creek, Vail, Aspen, Aspen Highlands and Powderhorn. Others with above-average snowfall include Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, Eldora and Monarch.