Clear sailing

More snow is coming to the high countr y this weekend, the latest in a series of storms that began early this month and turned this season’s snowfall trend from dismal to encouraging.

Opensnow, an independent weather forecasting and reporting service, says the northern and central mountains could receive 5 to 10 inches beginning Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. And it looks like another system will arrive on Wednesday.

December and Januar y brought disappointing snowfall, but the storm pattern changed the first week of February, and frequent snowfall since then has helped a lot. The snowpack is still below average, but we’re catching up.

“If the next 10 days of storms deliver a reasonable amount of snow, we should maintain or even advance our position against the average, and we do have a chance of catching up if the coming storms take a favorable track,” Opensnow meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote in Friday’s forecast.

Four teen Colorado resorts are at 85% to 90% of their snowpack average, considerably more than was the case a month ago. Wolf Creek is at 117%, Telluride 98% and Silverton is 97%, according to Opensnow.

The system arriving Saturday will bring the best chance for substantial snowfall until next Wednesday, Gratz reported.

“Snow showers should ramp up on Saturday afternoon, should continue on Saturday night, and then snow showers will dissipate on Sunday morning,” Gratz said. “All models still point to 5 to 10 inches as the most reasonable forecast from Saturday midday to Sunday midday. The snow will favor the northern mountains, the central mountains, and the nor th side of the San Juan mountains around Telluride and Silver ton.

“For the amount of snow, a lot will hinge on how productive the showers are on

Saturday afternoon into the evening. These showers will be intense and somewhat random — if they hit or linger over a cer tain mountain, snow totals will be on the higher end of the range, and vice versa.”

Timothy Hurst / Staff Photographer Laura Riegel hands a kite string off to her daughter Emma Riegel, 5, as the two of them, as well older brother Carter Riegel, not pictured, take advantage of a windy day at Scott Carpenter Park on Monday in Boulder. Today’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with a high of 57 and more wind in the afternoon.

Helen H. Richardson / The Denver Post Brian Mccarthy, left, leads his group as they head out for a day of skiing in the backcountry near Jones Pass near Empire on Thursday. Many mountains can expect to receive 5-10 inches of snow this weekend.

Helen H. Richardson / The Denver Post Brian Mccarthy, right, checks that his groups' beacons are on as Mary Berning, left, passes by. His group was preparing to head out for a day of skiing in the backcountry on Jones Pass on Thursday near Empire.

Helen H. Richardson / The Denver Post Local ski guide Dan Mcgrew heads out for a day of skiing in the backcountry on Jones Pass on Thursday near Empire.