Snow Hits Colorado’s Mountains, Then Winter Immediately Bails

Winter is doing that thing where it technically shows up in Colorado, makes a mess in the mountains, then immediately excuses itself and goes back to being boring.

Light snow is hanging on across some of Colorado's mountains this morning, just enough to make mountain passes slick and drivers question their life choices.

After that? We’re right back to warm-ish, dry-ish, predictable January weather… at least for a few days.

Morning Snow: Just Enough to Be Annoying

Light snow continues this morning over Colorado's mountain passes, and while this isn’t a big storm by any stretch, it is enough to cause slick travel over mountain passes like Rabbit Ears and Vail.

Most of the real moisture stays east of us, as expected, but a few light accumulations are still possible before the snow tapers off later this morning.

Bottom line: it’s not scary, but it is sneaky. It's the kind of snow that turns a normal drive into a white-knuckle one if you’re not paying attention.

The Work Week: Colorado Weather on Cruise Control

Once the morning snow wraps up, drier air moves in, and the rest of the work week settles into a familiar groove: above-normal temperatures in the valleys and near-normal temps in the high country.

Afternoons feel decent for January, while nights cool off quickly thanks to dry air and clear skies. Think chilly mornings, comfortable afternoons, repeat.

It’s not exciting. It’s not dramatic. But it is reliable, the type of weather equivalent of a plain black hoodie.

Read More: Funny and Strange Colorado Town Mottos You’ve Never Heard

Late-Week Pattern Change: Maybe… Just Maybe

Late in the week, the atmosphere finally hints at a change, as a system developing off the Pacific coast helps shuffle the deck just enough to increase snow chances in the mountains.

There’s still a lot of uncertainty. This is very much a 30 to 50% confidence situation, but moisture levels do appear to improve, opening the door for periods of light mountain snow Friday into Saturday.

The central and southern mountains look like the best candidates if this comes together, while areas farther north may miss out again. Afterward, drier air likely returns by Saturday afternoon.