Just a small town girl
Livin’ in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Goin’ anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Goin’ anywhere
Sure…it’s 60 – almost 70 degrees this week in the lower elevations. Yes, you should be outside in shortsleeves drinking a beer. Yes, you should tune up that mountain bike. But, you shouldn’t stop believin’ (listen to the song) in the snow, because powder days are on their way for Friday and Saturday! This variety in the weather, for the upteenth time, is why I love Colorado.
NEW “Quick Forecast” Section
You asked for it, and I was tired of being ambiguous, so I present to you the brand new “Quick Forecast” section. I’ll provide some insight into the forecast within each blog post, but the “Quick Forecast” page will be your go-to source for all the details.
Get to it from the top or side of any page.
See snow totals – BY RESORT – for the next 5 days.
Read a written forecast for the next week.
Powder on Fri/Sat
Powder days will be Friday and Saturday before noon (the sun and crowds will chop up the powder by Saturday afternoon).
A strong storm is going to drop out of the northwest on Thursday and strengthen over Colorado. This means that all of our mountains will see some snow. The northern mountains along I-70 will one again get into the action. With good upslope (from the east) winds, the front range mountains and urban flatlands will also see snow. And with the storm dropping south through all of Colorado, the central and southern mountains won’t miss out.
The Wolf Creek Story
Our own Gluten Free Snowboarder (from Boulder, of course) just got back from Wolf Creek. And man, his pictures and description about two days of solitary powder convinced me that the WC is not just for Texans on spring break. Here’s a quick sample, and for more – be sure to check out his latest blog post.
Now if you don’t like to hike at a ski resort, then Wolf Creek is a fairly small mountain with slow lifts and a lot of flats. However, if you don’t mind earning your turns, Wolf is as fun as it gets. Their terrain is situated on the Continental Divide and the ridgeline trails you hike are actually part of the Continental Divide trail that you can hike in the summer. In the winter though, they lead to exciting steeps and powder filled bowls.
Last storm review
As the storm held its strength and moved from northern Utah to the four corners, heavy snow bands impacted Powderhorn, Telluride, Durango, Silverton, Wolf Creek, and Monarch. These snow bands were mostly rotating in from the east, so the orographics (moist air hitting a mountain, being forced to rise, and dropping snow) were a little different than the normal patterns where the wind comes from the west or south.
A good upslope wind (from the eastern plains) also developed, providing good snow totals to the front range mountains.
Overall, I was stubborn with this storm and refused to up my snow totals even when the storm came in stronger than expected. The many “0″ totals showing up in the middle of the state are the reason I was reluctant to forecast higher amounts…
| RESORT | TOTAL |
| Wolf Creek | 16.0 |
| Silverton | 14.0 |
| Echo | 12.0 |
| Powderhorn | 11.0 |
| Monarch | 8.0 |
| Durango | 7.0 |
| Telluride | 7.0 |
| Breckenridge | 5.0 |
| Eldora | 4.0 |
| Loveland | 4.0 |
| Copper | 2.0 |
| Abasin | 1.0 |
| Cooper | 1.0 |
| Keystone | 1.0 |
| Winter Park | 0.5 |
| Aspen Highlands | 0.0 |
| Aspen Mountain | 0.0 |
| Beaver Creek | 0.0 |
| Buttermilk | 0.0 |
| Crested Butte | 0.0 |
| Snowmass | 0.0 |
| Steamboat | 0.0 |
| Sunlight | 0.0 |
| Vail | 0.0 |
Joel,
I like the new set-up looking good!
FYI- for what its worth word is getting around fast about your website. Thanks for your website and your time.
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 16th, 2010 at 7:30 PM
Thanks! Glad to hear the word is out…I aim to please!
[Reply]
For the record, it was blower mid-thigh and face shots in a few of my stashes in Blue Sky Basin last Wednesday. Vail only reported 2 that day so it must have been wind related.
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 16th, 2010 at 7:32 PM
Interesting…thanks for the report!
[Reply]
Does it look like there will be any bigger storms in the future? like about two weeks from now?
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 16th, 2010 at 7:34 PM
Maybe another storm toward the middle of next week, and perhaps a storm next weekend (27/28), but that’ WAY too far out to forecast with certainty, at least for me. It doesn’t look like winter is done, but details are hard to forecast more than 5-7 days out.
[Reply]
New site looks good. What a great idea, how did you ever come up with that?
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 16th, 2010 at 7:35 PM
Good feedback from readers…I do listen:-)
[Reply]
As always great update Joel. Hopefully Vail does better than you expect. I have high hope for good orographics given the wind direction.
If I may, it would be awesome if you could delve into long term discussion a little. Do you see a pattern change or is this just an isolated storm and will we return to large scale high pressure?
Thanks
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 16th, 2010 at 7:36 PM
I’m less optimistic for Vail only because of a north or north-northeast wind. Vail does best with a northwesterly wind. This is why I think Summit Co. and the resorts to the east along the divide could do the best. But yes … any snow is good.
As for a long-range discussion, see my reply above to @Jim.
[Reply]
Just fyi…..and you can delete this post…..you spelled front range wrong in the quick section. I really like the format though!
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 16th, 2010 at 7:36 PM
Thanks for the correction…”Font” is now correctly spelled “Front”.
[Reply]
Joel – Dig the forecasts dude, keep them coming!! Headed to Taos Thursday night to do a little skiing in that area on friday. Is Taos too far south to receive any of the goodness from the coming storm?
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 16th, 2010 at 7:42 PM
Taos should get some snow Friday night…3-6″ looks like a good guess right now since the storm will be pretty quick as it moves through that area.
[Reply]
powderhorn was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
(too bad ELDORA dosen’t get that kind of snow! 
)
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 12:47 PM
Glad it was fun!
[Reply]
Damn, curious to see what the forecast brings for the 27th. COMBA has a trail building day scheduled then for Buffalo Creek out near Conifer/Bailey.
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 12:49 PM
Still pretty far out, but next weekend (27/28) looks sunny and warm after some snow/rain in that area next Tue-Wed (23/24).
[Reply]
Killer new addition to the website. I have been sending EVERYONE I ride a chair with here for more accurate, skier/boarder centric reports, so keep up the great work, and THANKS.
-ps I think you could kick the crap out of Marty Coniglio in a steel cage match…just sayin’.
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 12:50 PM
Thanks for spreading the good word – that’s what I rely on! Not sure if I want to cage match, but maybe we’ll have some friendly competition on skis:-)
[Reply]
Just wanted to say this is a phenomenal site. I’ve been checking in for the last couple months and its become one of my “go to” sites (that handful I flip to over coffee in the AM or beer in the PM).
Do you ever think of adding some type of forum for trip reports / conditions or does that get too messy? There really isn’t a good site (that I know of) for trip reports in CO (mountainbuzz or wildsnow occasionally). Either way, what you’ve got is great – thanks and nice work.
C
[Reply]
Okay, Joel, has your outlook changed for this storm coming in Thursday night. NWS service seems to be forecasting up to 12 inches in foothills. How about your take on the high country, and where?
(traveling to high country today, but where do you now recommend?)
[Reply]
Joel Gratz Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 12:51 PM
Just posted an updated blog entry and new quick forecast. Along and east of the divide will have the deepest snow most likely, though everyone will get in on the action.
[Reply]