More winter weather drops snow in Vail Valley

Vail got a nice coating of 5 inches of new snow on Sunday after a quick shot of fresh on Friday, and another 3 to 6 inches are in the forecast for Monday.

That new snow, coupled with lower temps, ought to help with snowmaking and getting Vail ready for opening day a little over three weeks from now on Friday, Nov. 15. And the next week looks to have a couple chances for additional snow accumulations in Colorado.

Beaver Creek, which saw 3 inches new on Sunday, opens for the season on Wednesday, Nov. 27.

The only two ski areas currently open in Colorado – Arapahoe Basin and Keystone – both received 4 inches of new snow on Sunday.

Loveland Ski Area, high atop the Continental Divide by the Eisenhower Tunnel, is likely to be the next area open, although it didn’t crank up its lifts over the weekend.

Then Breckenridge and Copper Mountain are ready to go on Friday, Nov. 8.

All of Colorado’s resorts will see more fresh snow over the next week or so, according to forecasters.

“Snow began in the northern and central mountains around Sunday morning at 1 am and most mountains received 2-6 inches by sunrise on Sunday. Expect showers and light additional accumulations on Sunday, a little break on Sunday night, and then another 3-6 inches in the northern mountains on Monday morning,” Opensnow.com meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote Sunday.

“After that, an eastern storm will deliver a few inches of additional snow on Thursday, then the last week of October could wind up being pretty exciting, which is a reversal of the outlook from a few days ago,” Gratz added.