Good ski conditions appear to be in store for most Colorado resorts over the Presidents Day weekend, following multiple storms in recent days and more incoming before the holiday.
The best snowfall totals are expected to target the northern mountains. Steamboat can expect 20 inches over the next five days, the OpenSnow forecasting and reporting service reported Thursday. Vail and Beaver Creek are forecast to receive 12 and Winter Park 11, with Copper Mountain and Loveland getting nine.
Up to 6 inches of snow was forecast Thursday afternoon and Thursday night across the state, with another 2-7 inches predicted for the northern and some central mountains Friday afternoon and Friday night. Steamboat should be the big winner with 15 inches coming through Saturday and another four coming Sunday and Monday.
Construction on the Floyd Hill project on Interstate 70 will halt for the weekend, but travel will be impacted by weather.
“Snowy road surfaces and slower travel speeds will arrive on Thursday afternoon and continue, off and on, through Friday night,” OpenSnow forecaster Sam Collentine predicted. “I would plan for extra travel time from Thursday afternoon through Friday night, especially over the higher passes.
“Following mostly dry road surfaces from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning, we’ll be tracking more wet, icy, and snowy road surfaces by Sunday afternoon and into Monday morning,” Collentine added. “Plan for extra travel time on Sunday evening and Monday morning.”
CDOT is expecting westbound delays on I-70 of up to 30 minutes Friday afternoon from 3 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. due to high volume, with weather possibly causing additional delays. Saturday morning westbound traffic is expected to be heavy early.
“Last year on this weekend, traffic developed quickly at 6 a.m. and lasted until 10:30 a.m.,” according to a CDOT post. “The peak of the traffic will occur around 8 a.m., with one hour of extra travel time between C470 and Silverthorne.”
Another challenging travel window should develop Sunday afternoon for eastbound motorists, CDOT said.
“Traffic will start to build by noon and abate soon after 6:30 p.m.,” CDOT said. “Metering at the Eisenhower Tunnel is likely. Delays could result (in) an hour of extra travel time from Silverthorne to C470. Â Snow is forecasted for the Vail Valley.”
Westbound travel on Monday should entail only minor delays, CDOT said, based on traffic patterns over the past three years. Eastbound traffic should be similar to a typical Sunday.
“If you want to avoid delays,” CDOT said, “head eastbound before 11:30 a.m. or after 6:30 p.m.”
CDOT is discounting Snowstang bus service to five ski areas by 50% on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Normally, roundtrip fares to Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, Loveland and Breckenridge are $25 for adults and $12.50 for children accompanied by adults. Tickets to Steamboat normally are $40 for adults, $12.50 for children. Information and ticket sales are at the Snowstang webpage.
As of Thursday, seven Colorado resorts had above-average base depths with Monarch leading the way at 16% above normal. Others with above-average bases include Winter Park, Vail, Steamboat, Crested Butte, Beaver Creek and Echo Mountain.
