32 inches of snow could hit Colorado peak during 24-hour period

Hopeful fourteener hikers be warned – snow season is far from over in the high country.

As those familiar with exploring Colorado in the springtime know, snow-free trails in urban areas are a poor indicator of conditions in higher elevations. And as of now, there's still plenty of snow on the state's peaks and there's more to come, meaning preparing and planning for winter conditions is still crucial for backcountry exploration.

Starting on Friday, another round of snow is expected in the Colorado mountains, likely to show up as rain around many of the state's urban areas. This is set to last through Sunday and will likely have no problem dropping totals that could reach well into the double-digits in spots where temperatures are below freezing.

Take Longs Peak, for example, where up to 32 inches of snow could fall during a 24-hour period between Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, according to Mountain-Forecast.com. All of the state's 14,000-foot peaks aren't expected to get that much snow, but most will likely get at least a foot during this period, including Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs.

Statewide snowpack is dropping off quickly, but still very present – currently at about 91 percent of the norm for the date and roughly at the same level that it was at during the beginning of March, according to the USDA. In general, during a year like this, snowpack will stick around until at least the start of June.

Bring traction when you're hiking in the high country and make sure you're following instruction from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. There's still plenty of avalanche risk and that risk will likely increase with this weekend's storm.