10/25/2020

The first major snow storm of the season is currently impacting the Rocky Mountains and we’re happy to report that some areas of Colorado are forecasted to see up to 2 feet by Monday morning! That’s great news for those currently affected by the East Troublesome Fire, which has scorched some 192,500 acres. If you’d like to donate to help out the victims of this tragic wildfire, please consider giving a gift to Grand County Wildfire Emergency Fund to help those who have lost so much.

Now that you’ve donated, let’s get to the snow

So far, accumulations have stayed mostly north, which aligns with the current La Nina trend. Yesterday, Mt Norquay in Banff was the first resort to open in Canada and reports indicate that it was the best opening conditions they’ve seen in a decade. While Sunshine Village and Lake Louise have yet to open, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some more opening announcements in the coming days.

In the United States, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming continue to see ample snowfall with areas such as Whitefish, Big Sky, Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee, and Sun Valley remaining in the flow for now. Thankfully, the Jetstream is moving further south today and with it, brining lots and lots of snowfall to northern and central Colorado. The largest amounts are actually forecasted over Rocky Mountain National Park, which is where the East Troublesome Fire has been raging for a week now. Hopefully, the powder puts a sizeable dent in what has become the second largest wildfire in Colorado history.

With that in mind, we’ve got some snowy images to wet your whistle. Time to wax up those boards and skis!

LET IT SNOW!

Big Sky:

Jackson Hole

Sun Valley

Steamboat

NOAA SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION:

A potent early season winter storm is on the way for eastern Utah and western Colorado this weekend and continuing into early next week. The first snow of the season is likely for the lower valleys with this system as well as bitterly cold temperatures. Most of the mountain ranges will see 6 to 12 inches, though locally higher amounts are possible. Confidence is increasing for 3 to 6 inches of snow in the higher valleys and a dusting to 3 inches of snow in the lower deserts. However, models are indicating the potential for a heavier snow band to develop and, depending on where the band sets up, snowfall totals could be much higher. 

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