After netting upwards of 2 feet of fresh powder in less than a week, Colorado’s mountain areas are slated to see several more inches of snow in the first few days of 2025. 

Ski resorts across the state recorded snow totals between 12 and 24 inches over the past five days, making for a last-minute refresh amid a mostly dry December.  

“This is exactly what we needed to help boost our snowpack and provide soft skiing around the holiday season,” OpenSnow meteorologist Sam Collentine wrote in a Tuesday blog post. 

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The state’s snowpack — which is tracked by looking at the snow-water equivalent, a measurement that shows how much liquid water is held within the state’s snowfields — had flattened following an early-season surge. 

By mid-December, levels had dropped below the 30-year median. 

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But as of Tuesday, statewide snowpack levels were again nearing normal and stood at 96% of the 30-year median, according to data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

In the Colorado Headwaters River Basin, which stretches from Grand County to Grand Junction and includes the bulk of the state’s major ski areas, levels were above normal for the first time in roughly two weeks, standing at 104%.

Following a pause Tuesday, snow is expected to return Wednesday, Jan. 1, with a winter weather advisory set to go into effect for central and northern mountain areas above 9,000 feet starting at 2 p.m. and not lifting until 5 p.m. Thursday. 

During that time, between 4 and 12 inches of accumulation is possible and westerly winds could reach up to 45 mph, according to a warning from the National Weather Service office in Boulder.

“Travel could be very difficult, especially over the mountain passes,” the advisory states. “Hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning commutes.”

Colorado state highway officials are already reeling from days of back-to-back road closures, vehicle pile-ups and slide-outs due to the most recent wave of winter weather that started late last week. 

The heaviest snowfall this week is expected to come Wednesday evening into early Thursday morning. 

Collentine said icy and snow-packed road surfaces will likely remain through Thursday afternoon and urged drivers to plan for extra travel time during this period.

Daytime temperatures could also plummet into the teens or even single digits in some of the highest-elevation areas during this time, National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Koopmeiners said. 

“It’ll be chilly, there will be some wind chills,” Koopmeiners said. “It’s going to be winter in Colorado.” 

Snowfall should let up by Thursday evening as winds also die down. Friday is expected to be dry and warmer, with daytime temperatures in the 30s.

Snow could return Saturday afternoon and last into early next week with the state entering into a “snowy period” for possibly the next week, Koopmeiners said.

Collentine said an initial wave of snowfall Saturday night should set skiers and riders up for soft turns on Sunday, followed by off-and-on snow showers that should keep soft conditions in place through early next week.

“This cycle between Sunday, Jan. 5, through Tuesday, Jan. 7, doesn’t look like it will bring significant snow, but this consistent pattern of light-to-moderate snowfall is almost better as it reduces the ‘powder panic’ and keeps excellent skiing conditions in place,” Collentine added. 

Looking further ahead, the state could be in for drier conditions, OpenSnow founding meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote in a separate post. 

Colorado will “be on the southwestern edge of the storm track from Jan. 8-14, and while storms might brush by Colorado and deliver some flakes, it is unlikely that Colorado will see significant snowfall during this time,” Gratz said, adding that the state will be in a similar position as it was during much of December. 

“This time, though, it’ll be a bit closer, so hopefully the brush-by storms will keep snow in the air now and again,” Gratz said. 

An 8-14 day forecast from the Climate Prediction Center shows a mixed outlook for Colorado. 

The eastern portion of the state could be in for below-normal temperatures, while the central part of the state could see near-normal temperatures and the western region slightly above normal. 

Precipitation could be above normal for the eastern side of the state and some of the central and northern mountains but below normal in the southwest.