Five Colorado ski areas are expected to receive more than two feet of snow over the next five days and tiny Echo Mountain — which overlooks Idaho Springs — is likely to get more than three feet.
While the metro area braces for a foot or more, Echo Mountain is forecast to receive 41 inches over the next five days, according to the OpenSnow reporting and forecasting service. Eldora, which like Echo is situated east of the Continental Divide, is forecast to receive 32 inches. Wolf Creek is expecting 27 inches, while Winter Park and Purgatory should get 26 inches.
Areas expecting 13-20 inches include Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Monarch, Telluride, Powderhorn, Breckenridge, Keystone and Cooper.
“Snow will begin on Tuesday night and snowfall could continue through the weekend,” OpenSnow founding meteorologist Joel Gratz reported Tuesday morning. “The deepest totals should be east of the Continental Divide and in parts of the southern mountains, where 2-4 feet of accumulation is possible, though the majority of mountains should be in the 5- to 12-inch range.”
For most resorts, this storm will be “fun, but not overly impressive,” Gratz wrote. “The best powder days should be Thursday in the northern/eastern mountains, Friday and Saturday in the southern mountains.”
Gratz sees four to 10 inches falling by Wednesday morning. The storm is expected to strengthen Wednesday night with intense snowfall (1-2 inches per hour) possible near and east of the divide.
“Areas east of the divide (Eldora, Echo, Front Range foothills) will see the most intense snow with snowfall rates possibly exceeding 2 inches per hour,” he wrote. “Thursday’s weather will be a continuation of Wednesday night’s weather with intense snow near and east of the divide and much less snow west of the divide. Thursday morning’s powder will be deep near and east of the divide, and the snow will continue to get deeper throughout the day. Travel in the foothills east of the divide could be slow or difficult with some closed roads.”
On Friday the most significant snow will favor the southern mountains. Following a few days of clear weather early next week, the next significant storm system is expected to arrive toward the end of next week. Gratz said nearly all weather models indicate there will be multiple chances for mountain snow the final 10 days of March.
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