A dry spell is coming, but a three-day storm will drop some powder before the warm weather and sunny skies arrive. 

Tuesday will bring the best chance of snow for Summit County, but snow showers are expected to linger until Wednesday night, according to National Weather Service of Denver forecasts. Its reports call for up to 4 inches by Tuesday night, but other meteorologists say the conditions could bring higher totals. 

OpenSnow founder and meteorologist Joel Gratz says between 6-12 inches could fall across most mountains by Thursday night, but he said it is a “tricky forecast” due to the storm’s circulation and variable wind directions. As the storm hits the Rocky Mountains, models show two centers of circulation 

Snow should arrive in Summit County by Tuesday after hitting western Colorado Monday night. 

“While the about 48-hour duration of the storm could push us into the higher totals, the lack of clarity around the details of this system makes me want to keep lower expectations,” Gratz wrote in his daily snow blog on Monday, April 3. 

Gratz’s three maps that show snow total predictions using three different weather models show Summit County having the potential to receive anywhere from 7-15 inches, but resort-specific snow totals listed on the site showed more conservative forecasts. 

“In terms of finding powder, there should be some on Tuesday morning,” Gratz wrote. “Then snow showers on Tuesday during the day, Tuesday night, and Wednesday should keep the snow soft on Wednesday and perhaps into Thursday morning as well.”

Out of the ski areas in the Summit County region, Loveland Ski Area is expected to benefit the most from this storm system. OpenSnow says 5 inches will drop Tuesday, 3 inches will drop Wednesday and 1 inch will drop Thursday. 

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area has the next highest totals, with 4 inches the first day and 1 inch on both Wednesday and Thursday. Keystone Resort, Breckenridge Ski Resort and Copper Mountain Resort will see about 2 inches Tuesday and then 1 inch Wednesday, according to OpenSnow. 

Thursday should be sunny with highs near 37 degrees, and the temperatures will continue to climb from there, according to National Weather Service reports. Friday will be sunny with a high near 47, Saturday will be partly cloudy with a high near 51 and Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 53. 

Gratz says he expects the warm, dry spell to last through most of next week. Highs should stay in the 40s and 50s while it remains dry from April 10-14. A stormy looking pattern should return in mid-April. 

National Weather Service long-range forecasts call for below average precipitation and above average temperatures for the next two weeks.