Summit County Citizens Voice

Dawn breaks over Summit County landmark Buffalo Mountain on the last day of 2009. PHOTO BY BOB BERWYN.

Widespread snow across Colorado, with 2 to 4 inches in Summit County and more than a foot in other mountain areas.

*Click on the more link for a fun photo essay of sunrise on the last day of 2009

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Widespread snow fell across the Colorado mountains Wednesday night, with decent snowfall totals reported from most areas, including 12 inches at Monarch, 11 inches at Steamboat and Winter Park, 9 inches at Telluride and Wolf Creek and 8 more inches at Powderhorn.

Closer to home, Beaver Creek picked up 13 inches and Vail reported 7 inches, with 2 to 4 inches at most of the Summit County resorts. For two-day storm totals, Powderhorn picked up 19 inches, but Beaver Creek was not far behind, reporting 17 inches for the past 48 hours. The latest round of snow at Beaver Creek brought the season-to-date snowfall up to 99 inches.

Base depths around the state:
Wolf Creek: 80 inches
Monarch: 54 inches
Silverton Mountain: 50 inches
Telluride: 49 inches
Winter Park: 48 inches
Powderhorn: 40 inches

Get the full Colorado snow report here.

Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail and Beaver Creek snow reports are here.

If you’re thinking of a road trip to start 2010, Snowbird picked up 17 inches, with 15 inches at Alta. Base depths in Little Cottonwood Canyon range from 43 to 59 inches according to SkiReport.com.

More light snow could be on tap for the northern mountains Friday night under a strong west to northwest flow with chilly temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. Another system could drop into the area from the north Sunday night into Monday.

As the storm clears out, winds will be light, setting up a slight inversion, with chilly air trapped not the valley floors Thursday. Lows Thursday night in the low single digits, highs Friday in the teens. Stay warm!

The backcountry avalanche hazard hasn’t changed much in the past 24 hours. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center is still warning of a chance for triggered slides on slopes facing north to south, near and above treeline, across the Summit and Eagle zone, where danger is rated “considerable.” Check in with center for a daily forecast, Call the hotline at (970) 668-0600 and report your own backcountry snow observations here.

More sunrise shots below!

Alpenglow on the summits of Buffalo and Red mountains.

Peak One towers above the Dillon Dam in the early morning light on Dec. 31, 2009.

The last sunrise of 2009 through some wild grasses on Ptarmigan.

Happy New Year.

A frost-covered branch glitters by the light of a camera flash, outlined against sunrise on the last day of 2009 on Ptarmigan Mountain in Summit County, Colorado.

More early morning sparkles by the light of a pretty dawn in Summit County.

Buffalo and Red mountains are cloud-capped as a winter storm dissipates over the Gore Range in Summit County, Colorado.

More sunrise color on the peaks of the Gore Range, as seen from Ptarmigan Mountain in Summit County, Colorado.

Dawn breaks over the Gore and Tenmile Ranges on the last day of 2009.

Filed under: avalanches, Copper Mountain, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding, snow, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado Tagged: | avalanches, backcountry, Colorado, Colorado ski areas, Copper Mountain, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding, snow, Snow and weather, snowboarding, Summit County Colorado, summit county weather