After a bout of unsettled weather to start the week, warmer temperatures arrive to head into the weekend, at least until Sunday evening. Snow flurries are possible throughout the week and into the weekend. A touch of fresh snow is welcome this time of year. It softens the typically hard-packed surface that greets the day. Expect breezes most days, picking up in the mornings and easing by the end of the day.
Spring conditions are the name of the game at Snowy Range Ski and Recreation Area. There should be enough fresh snow here and there to soften the hardpack. Closing day is April 7, so there’s not a lot of time left to enjoy the slopes.
Northwest Wyoming continues to get regular bouts of snow to keep the skiing going at both Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Snow is in the forecast off and on through the weekend.
To the south in Colorado, conditions vary, with fresh snow here and there, followed by clear skies in typical spring fashion. Coverage is excellent on the slopes at Steamboat with extension of the season through April 21. Skiers and riders at Winter Park continue to enjoy fresh snow interspersed with spring sunshine. The snow base there is 116% of average for the season.
Personnel at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center report the avalanche danger for the southern Wyoming and northern Colorado mountains is rated “moderate” at all elevations. Avoid slopes steeper than 35 degrees with more than a foot of new snow. An observation on the Eastern Wyoming Avalanche Information Exchange last Saturday on conditions near Quealy Lake reported crusty conditions with the warmer temperatures. They saw no signs of cracking or recent avalanche activity.
At Keystone, near Rob Roy Reservoir, there have been a total of 220 inches of snow so far this season, according to Don Day Jr. at dayweather.com. This is a four-inch increase from last week. The amount is nearly the same as the 225 inches reported by this time last year. According to Open Snow, the snowpack in the Snowy Range is 104% of average for this time of year, a decrease of three percentage points from last week.
Conditions “up top” in the Snowy Range were sunny and warm this past week. Powder hounds were out of luck, but that could change this week. With cooler temperatures, the bouts of snow could freshen up the hills and coat the hard-packed surface with at least a little fluff.
All of the ski trails off Highway 130, including Libby Creek, Barber Lake and Little Laramie, have excellent coverage, with spring conditions. With the snow surface freezing overnight, morning crust skiing, where skiers enjoy skimming across the snow surface before it softens, could be ideal right now.
Conditions are similar at Chimney Park and along the Medicine Bow Rail Trail. Coverage is very good, with spring conditions on user-packed trails.
The recent warmer weather took a toll on the trails at the Happy Jack Recreation Area. That turned around Monday when four to six inches of snow blanketed the trails, accompanied by cold temperatures. Winter returned, if just for a few days, so grooming continues for now.
The multi-use trails are also on their last leg for the season. The surface is best early in the day, turning to mush as temperatures rise during the day.
As of Tuesday morning, the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service snow measuring stations reports 64 inches of snow at Cinnabar Park, a decrease of 10 inches from last week. The station at Brooklyn Lake reports 70 inches, a decrease of 12 inches from last week. The report at Sand Lake on the north end of the Medicine Bow Mountains was 92 inches, a decrease of 12 inches from last week. The measuring station at Medicine Bow Peak, at an elevation of 10,500 feet, reports 97 inches, a decrease of seven inches from last week. The Crow Creek station on Pole Mountain shows 25 inches, an increase of one inch from last week.
Cross-country skiing
Pole Mountain/Happy Jack Recreation Area Nordic ski trails: Conditions on the Nordic trails are very good, with 4 to 6 inches of new snow on Monday. Daily grooming is underway with good coverage.
Pole Mountain/Happy Jack Recreation Area Multi-use trails: Conditions are marginal for those on fat bikes, except early in the morning. Snowshoes and skis are the recommended mode when it gets too soft.
Chimney Park Nordic ski trails: The trails are in very good condition, with plenty of snow. The routes are user-packed.
Snowy Range backcountry conditions: Excellent spring conditions. Good coverage, with trails user-packed and suitable for skiers and snowshoers.
Snowmobile conditions
Snowy Range: Conditions are good up high and could improve with fresh powder this week. Current base ranges from five to seven feet.
Quick Numbers
Wyoming downhill areas
Snowy Range Ski Area: 51-inch base; 5 lifts, 33 trails and 100% of terrain open.
Antelope Butte: 26-inch base; no additional information available.
Grand Targhee: 116-inch base; 6 lifts, 87 trails and 92% of terrain open.
Hogadon: 55-inch base; 2 lifts, 26 trails and 100% of terrain open.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort: 100-inch base; 13 lifts, 123 trails and 94% of terrain open.
Meadowlark Ski Area: 10-inch base; 2 lifts, 12 trails and 86% of terrain open.
Sleeping Giant: Closed this season.
Snow King: Closed for the season.
White Pine: 26-inch base; 2 lifts, 29 trails and 100% of terrain open.
Colorado downhill areas
Arapahoe Basin: 60-inch base; 9 lifts, 140 trails and 97% of terrain open.
Breckenridge: 68-inch base; 33 lifts, 187 trails and 100% of terrain open.
Copper Mountain: 66-inch base; 23 lifts, 155 trails and 99% of terrain open.
Eldora: 47-inch base; 10 lifts, 65 trails and 100% of terrain open.
Keystone: 56-inch base; 21 lifts, 140 trails and 100% of terrain open.
Loveland: 59-inch base; 10 lifts, 93 trails and 99% of terrain open.
Steamboat: 105-inch base; 23 lifts, 181 trails and 100% of terrain open.
Vail: 70-inch base; 33 lifts, 275 trails and 100% of terrain open.
Winter Park: 86-inch base; 20 lifts, 168 trails and 100% of terrain open.
Let the news come to you
Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.
Explore newsletters