Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of Monarch Mountain and does not reflect the same of KOAA.
In a sesaon that's already seen incredibly snowfall totals, more is headed to the slopes of our ski resorts this weekend. Winter park has now seen 333 inches of snow this year! Steamboat is at 368". Those are both strong numbers but not records. Either way, the season isn't over...those numbers climb this weekend.
Low pressure is tracking toward the state. This system tracks north, so while southern Colorado is mainly getting wind, our mountains do better. A Winter Storm Watch is in place Friday afternoon through Saturday for the highest terrain of the central mountains - generally above 11,000 feet. Meanwhile a high wind watch is in place for the western mountains with potential wind gusts of 65 mph or greater on tap.
FRIDAY:
- Very windy.
- Generally dry.
- Warmest of the 3 days. 40s for highs at lower elevation resort bases.
- I'd suggest holding off on hitting the western slope ( Montrose and zones west of and along U.S 50 and 550 from Grand Junction to Durango). If you're a fan of 70 mph wind gusts when you ski - great.
- Central Mountains are very breezy - 40-50 mph gusts for some.
SATURDAY:
- Snow.
- Heaviest before dawn.
- Still breezy (blowing snow likely, particularly for I-70 resorts and N. mountain resorts)
- Widespread 4-6", highest mountains and normal overperformers will get more (my bet is on Wolf Creek, Steamboat, Crested Butte, Beaver Creek) to see some patchy 8" totals.
- Not a good day for a day trip. Snow covered roads to get there, wind blown snow on the way back. Winds get stronger on Saturday night along the Front Range...into the 50-60+ mph range. If you're already at the resort, the snow during the day on Saturday won't be too intense.
- Very cold - feels like February. Chop 20 degrees off the highs on Friday.
SUNDAY:
- Dry generally.
- Pick of the weekend.
- Nice fresh powder at first chair.
Several resorts have extended their seasons because of the good conditions. Monarch is now closing on April 21st instead of April 7th.
For the rest of the pack, here's an updated table of projected closing dates:
| Arapahoe Basin | TBD June |
| Aspen Mountain | April 21 |
| Aspen Highlands | April 7 |
| Buttermilk | Closed |
| Beaver Creek | April 14 |
| Breckenridge | TBD May - Peak 9/10 close April 14 |
| Cooper | April 7 |
| Copper Mountain | May 5 |
| Crested Butte | April 7 |
| Echo Mountain | April 14 |
| Eldora | April 21 |
| Granby Ranch | Closed |
| Hesperus | Closed |
| Howelson Hill | Closed |
| Kendall Mountain | Closed |
| Keystone | April 7 |
| Loveland Ski Area | May 12 |
| Monarch Mountain | April 21 |
| Powderhorn | Closed |
| Purgatory | April 28 |
| Silverton | April 14 |
| Snowmass | April 21 |
| Steamboat | April 21 |
| Sunlight | April 7 |
| Telluride | April 7 |
| Vail | April 21 |
| Winter Park | May 19 |
| Wolf Creek | April 7 |
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