Mild fall weather continues in the Front Range zone. Many of the upper-elevation areas have been snowcovered for over a month. Reports from the backcountry describe a mix of loose facets or hard wind slabs in the upper snowpack covering weak facets over an ice layer near the bottom. Just to make things more interesting, you might find a layer of surface hoar under the upper slab.

Although this is not a great setup if you want a stable snowpack, we haven't had a big loading event in over a week. This means that you are unlikely to trigger an avalanche unless you are on a very steep slope with hard snow in the upper portion of the snowpack. Safe backcountry travel is possible in many areas, but you'll need to evaluate steep upper-elevation slopes before you commit. Be especially careful on slopes that face northwest, north, northeast, and east.

Beautiful fall weather continues as a ridge of high pressure builds over Colorado.Today expect clear skies and light winds from the west and southwest. The next low-pressure system is brewing in the Pacific Northwest. Overnight winds speeds over the highest terrain will increase into the 20 to 30 mph range and clouds will start to build in the Northern Mountains. The low-pressure trough will pass through Colorado on Saturday. Clouds will spread into the Central Mountains with scattered snow showers in the Northern Mountains.There is a slight break before a second low-pressure system moves in on Sunday. This is a slightly stronger system, but most of the weather will remain in the northern half of the state.