BY JIM THOMAS

TELLURIDE — The first major snowstorm of the winter skiing and boarding season hit the Four Corners on Tuesday, March 7, bringing heavy snow to the ski areas.

The storm actually began arriving the night before. It had dumped 13 inches on the top of the mountain and about 11 inches at the mid-way point. It was still snowing Tuesday afternoon bringing another 5 inches. As of Tuesday afternoon, there was 59 inches of man-made and natural snow on top and 56 inches of snow mid-mountain.

"It is a beautiful powder day in Telluride," Steve Swenson, Telluride Ski and Golf Company’s president of sales.

More snow came into the area Thursday, March 9, but it didn’t have quite the punch nor the associated moisture along with it. The forecast for today, March 11, calls for a general warming trend with partly cloudy to variably cloudy throughout the weekend. Another storm is forecast for the early-to-middle part of next week, according to the National Weather Service.

But it really should come as no surprise the Four Corners is getting snow. March and April are generally the snowiest months of the season. The snow is wetter and heavier than the normal light powder which falls earlier in the season.

Nearly 100 hundred percent of the mountain is open with 65 of 66 trails skiable and all 12 lifts operating. Skiing is rated as excellent on powder and packed powder. Gold Hill has been opening later in the morning after the ski patrol completes avalanche control.

March Millennium Madness is now under way at the resort, located about 65 miles north of Cortez. Guests can stay five nights in a slopeside condominium and spend four days on the hill for $630 per person. For more information, phone 1-800-854-3062.

Wolf Creek Ski Area, located at the top of Wolf Creek Pass near Pagosa Springs, is another good place to ski right now.

There is plenty of deep snow. Late-winter storms have finally dropped much-needed snow. Right now the ski area is a good bet for finding excellent snow conditions plus a wide variety of runs.

Wolf Creek reports all lifts operating are with all runs open with 100 percent of the mountain open and all six lifts are operating. The all natural snow depth is 79 inches mid-mountain and 82 inches at the summit. Surface conditions are excellent on powder. A total of 8 inches had fallen as of Tuesday afternoon on top of 8 inches which fell Monday night. There were scattered snowshowers Wednesday and Thursday as well.

The new Alberta quad chairlift is running well right now. It serves the outback area of Waterfall, Step Bowl, Montezuma Ridge, and lower chutes of the Knife Ridge area. The new Garaventa CTEC fixed grip quad chairlift opened at the end of January. The lift made access to an additional 581 acres increasing Wolf Creek’s total skiable terrain to 1,581 acres.

Purgatory, located about 25 miles north of Durango, reports it received 13 inches of snow by Tuesday afternoon. That was on top of the 7 inches that fell the night before. It was still snowing hard Tuesday afternoon, according to reports. More snow fell Thursday. The resort reports 65 inches at midway with 70 on top. Skiing and snowboarding is excellent on powder.