Keeping Track of The Colorado Snowstorm

It’s official- Winter is back in a big way. Today’s storm dumped some serious accumulation around the country, with Colorado being hit particularly hard by the Spring storm. Denver was essentially shut down for the day, with Denver International Airport shutting down operations indefinitely for the first time in a decade, and roads and highways around the state being closed. But, if you’re lucky enough to already be at a resort, be it in Colorado or any other spot in North America that is getting dumped on right now, you’re in for a treat. According to On The Snow, the following resorts are reporting the highest 24 hour totals for snow accumulation, and have more snow in the forecast.

1. Snowbird, Utah: 16 inches.
2. Powderhorn, Colorado: 13 inches.
3. Red Lodge Mountain, Montana: 13 inches.
4. Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah: 12 inches.
5. Beaver Creek, Colorado: 10 inches.
6.  Brian Head Resort, Utah: 10 inches.
7. Steamboat Resort, Colorado: 10 inches.
8. Telluride, Colorado: 10 inches.
9. Silverton Mountain, Colorado: 10 inches.
10. Beaver Mountain, Washington; Bluewood, Washington; Lookout Pass Ski Area, Idaho; Park City, Utah: all round out the top ten with 9 inches.

If you’re in Colorado and weren’t up in the mountains today (I would console you and say it was terrible, but then I’d be lying), don’t worry, there’s more on the way. Joel Gratz is predicting that after a few days of intermittent snow showers and dryer weather, there’s another storm in the works for the weekend, although the magnitude of it is still uncertain.
Backcountry travelers, in particular, should keep up to date with the avalanche forecast, as this Spring Colorado snowstorm has dumped a hefty amount of new snow on a pretty inconsistent snow pack that has seen wild temperature fluctuations over the course of the last month and a half. Along with the always lurking chance of a persistent slab, storm slabs and wind slab avalanches remain a concern as well.
If you’re in Colorado for the next week, plan on heading to the mountains and enjoying some of the new snow before the resorts start to close. And if you’re not in Colorado, this storm is big and on the move, so there just might be some more of that fluffy white stuff in the forecast for you too.