COLORADO — A highly active winter pattern is lining up for Colorado’s mountain regions, with multiple waves of snow expected over the next 10 days, delivering much-needed accumulation to high elevations across the state. Forecast snowfall guidance shows repeated mountain-focused systems capable of producing significant totals, especially along west- and southwest-facing terrain. However, this is a sharply divided pattern, as the Denver–Boulder Front Range is likely to miss out on meaningful moisture, remaining entrenched in severe drought while strong winds next week raise fire weather concerns.
Repeated Snow Waves Favor Colorado’s High Terrain
Forecast data highlights a sustained period of snowfall focused almost entirely on Colorado’s mountains, with several systems stacking snow over time rather than relying on a single major storm. The most persistent accumulation is expected across western and central mountain ranges, where colder air and upslope flow will repeatedly interact with incoming Pacific moisture.
Snow totals increase rapidly with elevation, and over the 10-day window, some high mountain locations are projected to see well over a foot of cumulative snowfall, with localized pockets potentially exceeding that mark where bands repeatedly redevelop. This pattern is ideal for building snowpack depth and improving mid- to late-winter conditions in the high country.
Snowfall Concentrated West of the Front Range
Despite the active mountain pattern, the forecast sharply cuts off snowfall east of the Continental Divide. Snowfall projections show very limited accumulation across eastern Colorado, including the Denver and Boulder metro areas, where totals remain minimal or nonexistent.
This west-heavy distribution reflects storm tracks that favor orographic lift in the mountains while leaving downslope flow and dry air in place across the plains. As a result, moisture struggles to spill eastward, reinforcing dry conditions along the Front Range.
Denver and Boulder Remain Locked in Severe Drought
While mountain snowfall is welcome news, it does little to alleviate conditions across the Denver–Boulder corridor, where severe drought continues. The lack of measurable precipitation over the next 10 days means soil moisture deficits are unlikely to improve, and vegetation remains vulnerable…