Light Snow and strong wind coming to the mountains Fri. Two more storm system expected into next week.

12/12/24 8:30am: Morning. Lets take a look at some details for the next 48hr including the Fri storm system and look ahead to next week. Models basically show 3 weak storm systems impacting CO from Fri through Wed next week with a focus for mountain snowfall over northern / northwest CO. Overall somewhat active and chilly but not that much snow accumulation.

• First storm system: 8am Fri to 2am Sat: light mountain snow, strong wind over the mountains and front-range (Den/Bou)

• Second: 8am Sun to 8am Mon: light / moderate mountain snow, front-range (Den/Bou) will remain dry but windy again

• Third: 2pm Tue to 2pm Wed: moderate snow for the north-central mountains, chances for some snow showers on the front-range (Den/Bou) much colder by Wed

  
  

In terms of the Fri storm system we are generally looking at 1-3" of new snow for the local ski areas, with highest amounts west of Vail Pass, closer to Aspen ski areas, Flat Tops, Park Range, maybe near Beaver Creek and secondarily over parts of the Front Range mountains: Medicine Bow Range to RMNP.

It will be turning very windy over much of the north-central mountains on Friday into Sat: 9am Fri to 4am Sat, wind-gusts of 30-60mph, strongest over the Front Range mountains along/east of the Cont. Divide. Moderate/strong wind will continue over the Front Range mountains on Sat, less wind further west.

Den/Bou will have a dry cold-front and some stronger wind move through on Fri, windiest from 11am Fri to 12am Sat: westerly wind-gusts of 15-35 mph in spots, windiest near the foothills.

A few more light snow showers expected over parts of the mountains on Sat night (before the Sun/Mon storm), favoring western CO.

Sun/Mon storm looking fairly weak, likely an additional 1-4" for the local ski areas / I-70 mountain corridor, again with heaviest amounts over northwest CO.

Strongest storm may come with the Tue/Wed storm but still looking very moderate relatively speaking, but possibly 2-6" of additional snow for the ski areas.

Maybe some snow / snow showers for parts of the northern front-range (including Den/Bou) from 6pm Tue to 2am Wed: Maybe Trace-2" in spots (more in the foothills, high uncertainty (half the models show too much westerly downslope flow and no snow at all just wind). Turning colder by Wed.

When I look at total snowfall through next Wed night, it will favor areas closer to Park Range (near/north of Steamboat), Flat Tops and northern front-range mountains (Medicine Bow Range)

Drier again from Thu-Sun (12/19 to 12/22) but forecast is uncertain.

First image shows forecast total snowfall from now through 5am Sat from latest HRRR, second image is equivalent form latest ECMWF. Third image shows forecast wind-gusts at 3pm Fri from HRRR and fourth image loop shows the three short-waves via 500mb vorticity / wind from latest GFS.