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Snow Incoming! The First Big Snow of the Season is Coming to Colorado

  Charity2-snow-9.1.2020

Telluride’s First Snow of 2020 – Charity 

SNOW IS IN THE FORECAST 

A very harsh blast of winter weather is aimed at Colorado and it will bring wind, rain and snow – potentially a lot – to portions of Colorado. 

As you might have read in our Fall Leep Peeping forecast where we mentioned that the first snows in Colorado typically occur in September, this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to you. What is going to be a little bit of a shocker is the fact that temperatures are going to go from the 60s and 70s in Colorado Ski Country down to the 20s and 30s for highs with snow! It’s going to be quite the change. 

FORECAST

This long holiday weekend is going to be amazing up in Colorado’s mountains. High temperatures will reach into the 60s and 70s (elevation dependent) and there will be so much beautiful Colorado sun to soak up. Monday will even be a beautiful day but changes will be looming and once they start, they will be quick to ruin any outdoor plans you have. 

An intense blast of cold air will begin to move through Colorado Monday night and temperatures in the High Country will drop from the 60s in the afternoon to the 20s and 30s at night with rain and snow showers developing. Once the rain and snow starts, it will have a hard time stopping. Throughout the day on Tuesday and through Wednesday morning there is like you be snow showers around and accumulating snow at that. Where? The best chance will be along and east of the Continental Divide. 

Travel is likely to be disrupted by this snow storm through the day on Tuesday and especially Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. If you have travel plans during this time period, please consider the weather. 

gfs-deterministic-colorado-t2m f-9598800
Tuesday High Temperature Forecast

Highs on Tuesday will be COLD. These are temperatures in the afternoon. Temperatures will likely be falling throughout the day so it’s going to be a cold and raw day. Snow levels will likely lower to around 5-6,000′ which means that most valleys will also see some snow flakes fly. This system is likely to bring a decent amount of moisture with it so rainfall amounts could be impressive which is great news for our ongoing drought we are experiencing here. 

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Wednesday Afternoon High Temperatures

By Wednesday, temperatures will begin to moderate….slightly. There will still be plenty of cold air and that is likely to last with a few degrees being added to afternoon highs each day through the end of the week. These kind of temperatures will kick start any leaves that haven’t begun to change. 

 

SNOW FORECAST 

The snow forecast is tricky, as per usual but here are some rough estimates of who will see snow. Mind you, this is going to change a bit but there WILL be snow but how much is yet to be determined. 

Here is the GFS model, typically a decent weather model to look at when forecasting winter weather. You will have to keep in mind that the ground is pretty warm and we are expecting a lot of warmth before the cold so there will be melting. This snow is likely to accumulate on trees and grassy surfaces. 

gfs-deterministic-colorado-total snow 10to1-9793200
The GFS Weather Model for Snow 

This shows most of the snow happening over the Front Range for cities like Denver and Ft. Collins. This is a very far-fetched idea of what could happen for them but in the mountains, this shows areas like A Basin, Aspen, Steamboat, Loveland, Winter Park and Monarch picking up a good deal of snow. Upwards of 3-6″ is not out of the question there. The Front Range ski areas like Eldora and Echo may be the big winners here so stay tuned to them. 

Areas like Telluride, Purgatory, Powderhorn and Sunlight may not pick up as much snow but some flakes should definitely be flying for them at times. 

Now, onto the EURO model which had a great success rate last winter when predicting snow storms 10-days out. 

ecmwf-deterministic-colorado-total snow 10to1-9825600
EURO Weather Model Snow Forecast

The EURO is still bullish for the Front Range cities. This also brings a little more snow to the west for areas like Telluride, Purgatory and Powderhorn but still, even with this models, snow amounts look to be lighter than other mountains. Eldora and Echo are still the big winners here with upwards of a foot of snow possible! Again, account for melting and the forecast for them is in the 4-6″ range. Aspen, Monarch, Winter Park, A Basin, Loveland and Steamboat could rack up 3-6″ of snow with this model output. 

BOTTOM LINE

It’s going to get cold and depending on where you are in the mountains, it’s going to snow. Be ready for big changes and be ready for travel impacts Monday night to Wednesday. 

BUY YOUR SKI PASSES NOW 

This is a great reminder that ski season is just around the corner. We offer a lot of great pass products for you and your family that you should remember as you plan your upcoming winter. 

The 5th and 6th Grade Passport 

This pass, exclusive for 5th and 6th grades offers 3 to 4 days of skiing at 21 ski areas across Colorado for a very low price. Find more information here. 

The GEMs Card

This ski discount card is PERFECT for anyone that is hesitant about the upcoming ski season or if they are not sure if they want to commit to a full season pass. Buy the GEMs card, bring it to a participating ski area and get a buy one get one free lift ticket, or get a lift ticket for 30% off! AND you get two uses at EACH ski areas. Buy your GEMs card here

The GOLD Pass

The GOLD Pass is unreal. Get UNLIMITED access to 21 ski areas in Colorado. No black out dates, no restrictions, AND this pass is fully transferable. ANYONE can use it if you buy one. Get more information on the GOLD Pass here. 

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