Monarch Mountain reveling in nearly 18 inches of snow

The snowstorm that blanketed the Pikes Peak Region was hit-and-miss for ski resorts.

At southern Colorado's Monarch Mountain, it was a big hit.

The ski area reported 17.5 inches of new snow this morning, the most of any resort in Colorado. And it was still snowing.

"It's awesome, big old powder pillows everywhere," said marketing manager Greg Ralph, breathless from testing out the powder this morning.

Despite the conditions, the area was not crowded, he said, due to the fact it's a weekday and many skiers were still working their way there on snowy roads.

Other southern Colorado ski areas also did well. Wolf Creek reported 15 inches of snow and Telluride had 11. Ski areas of Summit County got 4-5 inches.

Mountain roads to ski areas are open, though U.S. Highways 24 and 50 have icy spots.

Another storm is expected to bring another foot of snow Saturday and Sunday, which has ski areas hoping for a big weekend after a lackluster first half of the season with weak snowfall.