The National Weather Service has released their snowfall forecast for a storm expected to hit Colorado this weekend – and it looks like it’s going to be a doozy.

For a little context, it’s worth noting that the National Weather Service releases three major maps regarding potential snowfall: a “expected snowfall” map (80% chance), a “high amount” map (10% chance), and a ‘low-end amount’ card (10% chance). This piece looks at all three, and it should also be noted that current maps only consider Thursday 6pm through 6am Sunday, with this storm expected to extend into the remainder of Sunday and possibly Monday as well . Updated maps showing a broader picture of this full storm should be released Friday.

In the “most likely” scenario, as depicted on the “expected snowfall” map, the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado will see up to four feet of snow, with a few select areas potentially seeing even more snow to have. Meanwhile, the central mountains and those in the Aspen area maxed out in the 12 to 16 inch range, although most peaks outside the southwestern region should be in the 3 to 6 inch range.

The ‘high-end amount’ card is where things get really interesting.

In this scenario, a wider range of peaks in the Central Mountains and Aspen region end up in that 12-plus inch range, while the Southwest gets much more snow.

This high-quality map shows more of the San Juans getting between 18 and 24 inches of snow, with a few select peaks (shown on the map below as the very small dots of darker purple) potentially receiving even more than that to get .

It’s also worth noting that this high-end scenario shows flurries in more than half of the state, including the Front Range. While this likely won’t be enough snow to result in accumulations in places like Denver and Colorado Springs, it could result in slick road conditions.

As for the low forecast, the Southwest should still get more than 9 inches of snow on some peaks. Totals drop quite a bit in the Central Mountain area in this scenario, with most peaks topping out in that 6- to 8-inch range.

OpenSnow’s Joel Gratz expects Purgatory and Silverton to get about 2 feet during the storm, while Wolf Creek is looking at 24. He also mentions that the next chance for more snow will be from October 26 to 31 (see OpenSnow’s full overview here).

This coming snowstorm is good news for the state’s winter sports enthusiasts, as many are hopeful for an October opening. While Central Mountain spots like Arapahoe Basin, Loveland and Keystone are often the first to get lifts running, this snowstorm could allow for early openings this year for those in the southwestern part of the state. Wolf Creek could be a good candidate as they have been known to open early in the past after years of good snow.