Last weekend felt more like winter than spring in the high country as temperatures struggled to get out of the single digits.

The conditions for skiing were fantastic with more than a foot of snow falling over the extended weekend. This additional snow increased our statewide snowpack to 80 percent of average. We now have a deeper snowpack than we did at this time last season. That’s not saying much, but we’ll take the small victory.

This weekend, the state will transition back into a spring pattern with warmer temperatures as a higher sun angle heats the ground. These warmer conditions will help generate pop-up afternoon snow showers, much like the afternoon thunderstorms that we’re used to during the summer. Accumulations should be low or nonexistent with these showers.

Two organized storms also will affect the state. The first will move through northern Colorado on Friday night and should distribute about 1-3 inches for most areas along and north of Interstate 70. A second, more powerful storm will arrive late Monday and has the potential to produce double-digit totals for areas such as the San Juans and foothills east of the divide.

Mountain snowpack typically peaks in early- to mid-April, and despite the warm temperatures over the next seven days, the upcoming storms should ensure that we don’t experience a premature meltout like last season.

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

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