For those looking forward to warmer weather, this upcoming week is not your week. 

Mountains in Summit and Grand counties could get as much as a foot of snow by next weekend. National Weather Service forecaster Bob Kleyla said this spring weather system will kick off Sunday night just after sunset with scattered showers and thunderstorms. 

Following a quick break in precipitation, things will pick back Monday afternoon with sporadic precipitation into Monday night. Starting Tuesday afternoon, the system could start delivering what Kleya described as “heavy” snow to some High Country mountains, but not all. 

He said this weather system seems to be what’s called a cut-off low, which are slow-moving and low-pressure systems that are isolated in the sense that they become detached from a larger jet stream. This system has an easterly flow, meaning it will likely deliver more snow to spots along and east of the Continental Divide. Meteorologist-founded weather app OpenSnow forecasts ski resorts including Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Loveland Ski Area and Winter Park Resort will get the bulk of the snow from this system. 

Winter Park could see an inch of snow on Monday and 6 inches on both Tuesday and Wednesday. While the base of Winter Park closed on April 27, the Mary Jane and Parsenn Bowl areas are still open. Loveland Ski Area, which has its closing day celebrations May 11, is anticipated to get 11 inches by Thursday morning. The ski area is expected to get 2 inches of snow on Monday, 5 inches of snow on Tuesday and 4 inches on Wednesday, according to OpenSnow. Arapahoe Basin, which looks to stay open throughout May and into June, is expected to get 2 inches of snow on Monday and 5 inches each on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Breckenridge Ski Resort, which will end its season May 11, is anticipated to get 2 inches of snow on both Monday and Tuesday, an inch on Wednesday and another one on Thursday. Copper Mountain also has a planned closing day of May 11. OpenSnow’s forecast shows it could get an inch of snow Monday, 2 inches Tuesday, an inch Wednesday and an inch Thursday.

“It’s definitely going be a heavier, wet snow … A lot of it (falling below 9,500 feet) will probably melt on pavement. The biggest travel headaches will probably be above 10,000 feet on the higher passes,” he said.

He added cold temperatures slated for Tuesday and Wednesday could keep the snow around for a bit on the slopes, but temperatures after that rise to the 30s and 40s.

Kleyla said the National Weather Service forecasting model only goes 10 days, but it’s likely this round of substantial snow will be the last Summit and Grand counties see before summer. He said while there have been Memorial Day snow events in the past, the likelihood of snow continues to diminish once May hits.