Snow forecast good news for Colorado ski areas as holiday nears

Much of the Western Slope is under a winter weather advisory for 24 hours as another round of snow moves into Colorado, according to the National Weather Service office in Grand Junction.

A trough of low pressure could leave behind up to 7 inches of new snow on much of the northern and central mountains. Higher elevations could see up to 8 inches, according to forecasters. The advisory started at midnight. Skiers will feast on a smorgasbord of newly opened slopes for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Monarch Mountain, Crested Butte and Steamboat open Wednesday. Thursday is the season opening for Aspen Mountain, Snowmass and Telluride. Purgatory at Durango Mountain opens Friday, according to Colorado Ski Country USA. Snow showers but no significant accumulation are expected along the Front Range today.

X Games Gold for Briton Jones

Jenny Jones, 28 from Bristol, has become the first Briton to win a medal of any colour at the annual X Games, clinching victory with the last run of the competition. Her overall score of 90.00 gave her victory by almost three points from Spencer O’Brien of Canada in second on 87.66. The invitation-only event, held in Aspen, Colorado attracts the world’s top competitors. An ecstatic Jones said: “My first run was sketchy, my second run I cleaned it up, so it looked better and I felt happy with the run but it wasn’t enough. I just had to go for it on the last run with the last jump”

“I was so pleased to win and suddenly the emotions went crazy and I had to try hard not to cry. It means so much to me to win an X Games medal and to win gold is the icing on the cake”

Britain’s other competitor, Zoe Gillings, was eliminated in the semi-final of the Snowboard Cross but withdrew from the consolation final after injuring her heel. There was encouraging news however for British skier Chemmy Alcott. Returning from injury, Alcott managed15th place in the woman’s World Cup giant slalom in Cortina.