Snowstorm to hit Vail over next 4 days; up to 19 inches of snow predicted
NWS Grand Junction
Get ready, powderhounds. The next four days will be bringing lots of snow to Eagle County, according to multiple sources.
The snow is expected to start falling Wednesday afternoon and get heavier as we get into the evening, with anywhere between 5-10 inches falling overnight.
“A band of very intense snow will set up close by, and if this band sits over the mountain for at least a few hours, snow accumulations could quickly get to double digits,” meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote on OpenSnow.com.
Earlier Wednesday morning, The National Weather Service in Grand Junction issued a winter weather advisory that will remain in effect until 9 a.m. Thursday. Current forecasts show a small window Thursday where the storm should settle for the morning commuters, before coming back with a vengeance later in the day with an additional 5-10 inches overnight and another epic powder day for those getting out there early Friday.
Snow should continue throughout the weekend with scattered showers of lesser accumulation, meaning fresh refills for all the weekend warriors hitting the slopes at various times.
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Avalanche danger high
Also earlier Wednesday morning, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center issued an avalanche warning that will remain in effect through Friday for CAIC Aspen and Gunnison Zones, including the Elk, West Elk, Basalt, Hardscrabble, Red Table and Ruby Range mountains.
“It will be very easy to trigger avalanches large enough to bury and kill a person by late Wednesday afternoon,” the warning stated.
The CAIC warning adds that avalanches are inevitable in this period, and that human activity will only exacerbate the situation.
“Avalanches will run naturally. You can trigger large dangerous avalanches from the bottom of slopes or from a distance. If you trigger an avalanche, it will be large and very dangerous,” the CAIC warns.
