Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of Monarch Mountain and does not reflect the same of KOAA.One of the busiest skiing periods of the year is almost here, and we've got above-average highs and breezes on the slopes this weekend. For example, check out the weekend forecast at Monarch and Wolf Creek. More sun than clouds, but becoming more cloudy as the weekend progresses and above-average highs. Were in the coldest part of the year, so those highs are still in the low 30s at Monarch and low 40s at Wolf Creek, dropping to the mid-30s on Sunday. Meanwhile, at mid-mountain at both Breck and Vail, highs will be in the upper 30s to low 40s and turning colder Sunday.Most of the powder thats fallen in the past week fell on Monday and primarily hit northern resorts. Winter Park picked up 7 inches Monday and is up 9 in the last week. Many other I-70 resorts picked up around 4 inches. If youre looking for new terrain, Vail opened their Blue Sky Basin and additional back bowls on Wednesday. Combined, theyve now got over 200 open trails. Copper Mountain also looks good with 83 percent of the resort open. Lets talk winds. If youre new to skiing, youll want to avoid northwest slopes above treeline on resorts north of I-70 on Friday. Wind gusts will be in the 30 to 40 mile per hour range.Saturday looks quiet. And Sunday will bring notable breezes back to westerly-facing slopes all day.Finally, lets look ahead. The weekend is dry and sunny, but Im tracking two systems on Monday and Wednesday. The Monday system will mainly hit northern resorts and looks weak. The Christmas storm has better moisture and should hit most resorts with decent powder. In short, if youre staying in the hills next week, be prepared for winter driving.__Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.