Summit County ski areas get much-needed snow with more on the way | SummitDaily.com
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Summit County ski areas get much-needed snow with more on the way

Some Summit County ski areas got more snow than expected overnight, with Breckenridge Ski Resort leading the pack at 4 inches.

Copper Mountain Resort tallied 3 inches, Keystone Resort reported 2 inches, and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area got 1 inch.

And more snow is on the way.



The storm system is expected to continue dropping light snow throughout the day Friday, Dec. 11, totaling up to 3 inches. Then the heaviest snow is expected Saturday, Dec. 12, with 4-8 inches in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service.

Open Snow is calling for similar accumulation totals: 1-4 inches at ski areas throughout the day Friday and an additional 3-7 inches by the time the storm rolls out Saturday night.



“While we are keeping expectations low since there is still a shallow base in the backcountry and limited inbounds terrain … the significant snow on Saturday afternoon/evening should mean that the best powder will be Saturday last chair or Sunday first chair,” Joel Gratz, founding meteorologist at Open Snow, wrote in his Colorado Daily Snow blog.

The unseasonably warm and dry fall has been particularly problematic this year because ski area capacity limits are based on open terrain. With just two weeks to go until Christmas Day, every little bit helps.

After the snow clears Saturday night, overnight temperatures are forecast in the single digits through at least the middle of next week, according to the Weather Service, aiding snowmaking efforts at ski areas. The next chance for snow is Monday night into Tuesday, according to Open Snow.

 


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