Arctic air and a Friday-Saturday storm deliver the best Colorado refresh to the southern and central mountains, with lighter but high-quality snow farther north. Snow levels start modestly higher early, then crash through the event, so conditions trend drier and fluffier as temperatures drop into Saturday night and Sunday morning; next week looks milder and mostly quiet after the cold weekend.
WeatherA powerful early-week storm delivers very heavy snowfall to Mt. Etna, then tapers to lighter, higher-quality snow mid to late week as winds ease. Snow levels fluctuate between about 4,400 and 5,900 feet, so lower elevations may see some rain or mixed periods at times, while upper mountain conditions stay wintry with temperatures holding in the upper teens. The core of the storm arrives Monday night through Tuesday night with intense winds and denser snow.
A warm, moisture-rich storm delivers widespread new snow to Utah mountains from Saturday night through Monday, with snow levels starting high near 7,500 feet before dropping to around 6,000 feet Sunday night and into the 5,000-6,000 foot range Monday. The Cottonwoods look best for totals and improving quality as colder air arrives, while the Wasatch Back and northern mountains also score meaningful snow with some denser periods early; winds will be a factor at times with gusty southwest flow.
Colorado's mountains pick up a light New Year's Day into Friday refresh, with the best snowfall focused on the Park Range. Snow levels start on the high side near 8,000-9,000 feet, then trend lower by late Friday, so higher terrain stays wintry while some lower bases flirt with wetter snow early on. Snowfall amounts are generally modest across the I-70 corridor and central mountains, while Steamboat stands out with the most meaningful accumulation; the southern mountains do well for a light system too, although Telluride is temporarily closed.
A warm midweek pattern delivers mostly light, high-elevation snow, then a cooler weekend storm brings the best new powder potential, especially in the Park Range near Steamboat. Snow levels run high early with marginal temperatures for lower elevations, keeping midweek accumulations modest and favoring upper-mountain terrain in the San Juans and along the Continental Divide.
Early snow levels generally hover around 6,000-7,500 feet, meaning lower bases near Tahoe can mix with rain at times early in the event, while mid and upper mountain stays mostly snow. Snow quality in this opening phase will be on the dense side, with SLRs commonly in the 4-9:1 range at Tahoe and the Central Sierra, and closer to 9-11:1 at Mammoth, so expect heavier, more supportive storm snow rather than blower.
California is in for a prolonged, increasingly wintry stretch, with the biggest mountain snow piling up from late Tuesday through Christmas and then continuing in waves into next weekend. Early in the period, snow levels run high and snow quality is generally poor to fair, but a midweek cooldown drops snow levels into the mid-mountain zone and boosts SLRs for much better powder potential, especially at higher Sierra and Eastern Sierra resorts where totals can reach 56″-100″ (Kirkwood) and 44″-81″ (Mammoth) by Sat night (12/27).
