Wind gusts over 120 mph were recorded in Summit County and some snow flew during Wednesday’s wind event.

Snow returns for the upcoming weekend, mostly in northern Colorado, with hopes of adding back to the lackluster snowpack the state is experiencing currently.

A larger snow event is forecast starting Christmas Eve and could produce better accumulations statewide over a 72-hour period.

Recap:

Wednesday brought wind gusts in excess of 120 mph in Summit County (Breckenridge), 100 mph in Grand and Boulder counties (Winter Park and Boulder), and some snow even fell across the northern mountains to the tune of 1-3 inches (Loveland 3″).

Thursday was calmer with breezy conditions, but no snow. Eldora announced it was to be closed on Friday due to the forecasted high winds, and don’t be surprised if other ski areas place wind holds or shut downs on upper lifts too.

Colorado’s snowpack:

Colorado’s snowpack suffered since the last snow event several days ago. As of Dec. 19, the state’s snowpack is at 59%, down 14 percentage points from a high of 73% on Dec. 7, and is holding 3.1 inches of snow water equivalent within the snow.

Colorado’s average snow water equivalent level of Dec. 19 is 5.3 inches.

Forecast:

From Friday evening through Saturday night, a storm passing to the north of Colorado will clip the state’s northern mountains, bringing snow and lots of wind (Friday mostly).

Forecasted snowfall accumulations by Sunday morning in the northern mountains are between 2-10 inches with the highest amounts in the northern Front Range along the Continental Divide, in the central mountains between a trace-2 inches with most snow in the Sawatch Mountains and in the southern mountains between a trace-3 inches with the highest amounts in the northern San Juan Mountains near Silverton.

Sunday through Wednesday, Colorado will be between storms, with warmer temperatures returning, dry conditions and less wind overall.

On Wednesday, Christmas Eve night, the weather models are forecasting a larger storm to begin impacting the high country for approximately a 72-hour period (Saturday, Dec. 27). All three mountain zones should receive moderate amounts of snow during this time.

Forecasted total snowfall over the next week in the northern mountains is between 6-19 inches, in the central mountains between 6-18 inches and in the southern mountains between 6-14 inches.

Long-term forecast:

From Sunday, Dec. 28 through Friday, Jan. 2, Colorado should reenter another dry period as the latest model runs show no storms passing through the state, kicking 2026 off with dry conditions but some newly accumulated snow, which should help ski areas and resorts open more terrain.

Colorado ski resorts 24-hour totals:

Arapahoe Basin – 0″

Aspen Highlands – 0″

Aspen Mountain – 0″

Beaver Creek – 0″

Breckenridge – 0″

Buttermilk – 0″

Cooper – 0″

Copper Mountain – 0″

Crested Butte – 0″

Cuchara – 0″

Echo Mountain – 0″

Eldora Mountain – 0″

Granby Ranch – 0″

Hesperus – Closed for the season

Howelsen Hill – 0″

Kendall Mountain – 0″

Keystone – 0″

Loveland – 0″

Monarch – 0″

Powderhorn – 0″

Purgatory – 0″

Silverton – Guided & Heli season Dec. 27

Snowmass – 0″

Steamboat – 0″

Sunlight – 0″

Telluride – 0″

Vail – 0″

Winter Park – 0″

Wolf Creek – 0″