Snowcast: Flurry of storms hold promise of more snow

After a mostly snowless January, I have good news: A few storms will affect Colorado during the final week of the month, and the mountains will have a fresh coat of white paint as we head into February.

These storms won’t be drought-busters, but they will freshen the slopes and slowly increase the snowpack across the state.

The first storm will be a quick-hitter and drop 2-4 inches across northern Colorado starting Thursday afternoon. Areas south of Interstate 70 could receive only an inch or two, so this is not a big snow-producer. But this storm is drawing in lots of moisture from the Pacific Ocean, and that will set the stage for additional storms going forward.

The second storm will arrive Friday night and last through Saturday. This storm will focus mostly on southern Colorado. Temperatures will be rather warm, which is not ideal for efficiently converting moisture into snow. However, with much moisture lingering, the southern mountains should see more than 6 inches, and possibly up to the double digits.

The third storm — and the toughest to forecast — should hit the state starting Monday and could last through Wednesday morning. Right now it appears as though the southern mountains will absorb the brunt of the storm, but with additional cold air filling in on the backside of this storm, the central and northern mountains also could see nice accumulations Tuesday into Wednesday.

Let’s hope for the best from these storms and pray that February turns out much snowier than January!

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For snow forecasts for ski areas, visit OpenSnow.com.