John Warrenthis News Today

It’s shaping up to be a beautiful weekend. Expect crowds at the most popular areas — arrive early, be prepared with alternatives, and seek out lesser visited places.

A heat advisory has been issued and the high water and muddy trails advisory remains. Watch the weather closely.

Temps have been more seasonable but most lower elevation areas still have at least one to two feet of snow. The possibility for avalanches remains a concern.

The region’s backcountry trails and downhill ski areas are skiable with excellent conditions, and snowmobile trails are in the best shape they’ve been all year.

Most lower elevation areas picked up at least 4 to 8 inches of new snow this week, with higher elevations getting as much as 10 inches to a foot or more.

A variety of mixed precipitation is forecast to give way to a drier weekend, with pleasant temperatures.

The weekend is looking dry and mostly sunny.

Dangerous wind chills are in the forecast. Frostbite on exposed skin can occur in as little as 10 minutes. Save yourself the trouble and stay out of the cold wind.

We’re expecting some snow later Saturday, but we’ve lost so much that we’re only just beginning to rebuild the base across the lower elevations.