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Warmer and drier for the weekend

30s and a few flurries this afternoon
Posted at 3:23 PM, Dec 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-07 14:05:41-05

Windy and chilly weather continues across Colorado with a few light snow showers in the mountains and increasing clouds on the plains.  

Temperatures will remain on the cold side this afternoon, with highs in the 20s to low 30s in the mountains and upper 30s to near 40 degrees for the eastern plains. There is a chance for flurries on the plains, while the mountains will pick up a few additional inches of snow, mainly above 10,000 feet.  

Light snow is possible through the early evening and we could even see up to a half inch of snow mainly south of Denver along the Palmer Divide.  Otherwise, little to no accumulation is expected. 

Warmer weather will return for the weekend as the chilly air slides off to the east of Colorado.  Expect mid-50s Friday and upper 50s to low 60s Saturday and Sunday. 

Looking ahead, the JET STREAM will remain in a position that will carry most of the cold and snow to the north and east of Colorado for next week.  The main storm track will bring the best snows to southern Canada, the Great Lakes and New England. 

It has been a dry start to the snow season in Denver - only 2.8 inches of snow since September.  By the end of November, Denver should typically see around 13 inches of snow, we are well below normal.  In the mountains, the snow-pack is low as well.  The statewide average is just 62 percent of normal for early December. 

Snow in the northern mountains is best at about 75 to 80% of normal, while the central mountains have less than half of the normal snowfall to date.  The worst snow conditions are in southwestern Colorado with about 1 third of the normal snow-pack.

The good news for skiers has been the cold overnight temperatures.  The clear, quiet conditions that have been the norm recently have made for excellent snowmaking weather for all of our resorts.  A big snowstorm would be preferred, but at least we have some man-made snow to ski and ride on!

There are some signs in the long range forecast that the JET STREAM pattern will shift a bit and bring the storm track back into the Pacific Northwest and then down into Colorado.  This change appears to be about 10 days away!

We have you covered as the weather changes - Storm Shield App. In addition, Storm Shield PLUS can provide important information about approaching severe weather. Go to StormShieldAlerts.com or call 877-438-4977 for more information or text to word SHIELD to 21000.