Just as you were contemplating chucking your cold-weather wear and doing some spring cleaning this weekend, an intense storm that rolled into the state today should drop up to a foot of snow across the Denver metro area and along the Front Range foothills.
And just as residents took solace in forecasts that called for a quick melt and sunny skies on Saturday and Sunday, weather watchers have spotted another storm on the heels of this one, expected to bring yet more snow by Monday.
By Friday evening, Denver could have 6-8 inches of snow, while the southern suburbs in Jefferson and Douglas counties could have up to 12 inches, National Weather Service forecasters said. The heaviest snow should hit near Monument and Palmer where 18 inches could fall, with other heavy snowfall extending out into the Eastern plains, weather service forecasters said.
United and Frontier airlines canceled flights in and out of Denver International Airport pre-emptively starting this afternoon. United cancelled about 10 percent of 840 flights scheduled for today and scratched an additional 40 flights scheduled for Friday morning, company spokesman Jeff Kovik said.
The cancelled flights “are from a variety of regions and allow us to attempt to operate all of our other scheduled flights as close to on time as possible,” Kovik said. “We will continue to monitor weather at DIA and we’re urging customers to check the status of their flight at United.com before heading out to the airport.”
Frontier, which operates far fewer flights, cancelled nine flights scheduled for this morning, company officials said.
April is typically one of the snowier months in Colorado, which has spent a good part of the winter months digging itself out of blizzards.
However, spring snow has different characteristics and can present different challenges. Spring snow is more moist and, as a result, heavier than the winter powdery white stuff.
For trees that are sprouting their leaves, spring snow can accumulate quickly and snap a number of branches, said Sarada Krishnan, director of horticulture at the Botanic Gardens.
“Those trees you need to watch out for damage and go out and clear the low-lying branches with a broom or something,” Krishnan said. “The fruit trees (like peaches, plum and apple trees), if they haven’t already been pollinated then might not get too many fruits this season.”
Because the pavement usually has retained more heat this time of year, public works crews did not bother pre-treating roads in some cities with de-icer until or unless temperatures dropped below freezing.
“Even though it might get cold outside, the heat in the pavement helps the snow to melt and avoid those snowpack conditions,” said Ann Williams, spokeswoman for Denver Public Works.
There were no serious traffic collisions reported this evening, but driving conditions are expected to worsen as more snow fell overnight.
The American Red Cross Mile High Chapter in Denver began making preparations for the snowstorm, stocking shelter supplies and positioning them throughout the metro area. Shelters were expected to remain on standby during the storm.
Avalanche conditions still are a concern with spring storms, experts say.
“The latest forcasts have indicated that the storm is going further south than anticipated and majority of snow will be on east side of Continental Divide,” said John Snook, forecaster for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. “Typically we have more avalanche problems on the west side. However, the San Juan mountain range did get 7 to 8 inches of snow, and we’re also keeping an eye out for Eagle County, Summit County and Grand County where between 18 and 28 inches fell between Sunday and Tuesday.”
The northeastern plains can expect about a foot of snow, aggravated by strong winds reaching up to 50 mph. Those blizzard conditions will make it dangerous for livestock and for drivers along Interstates 70 and 76.
Saturday in the metro area should be sunny and warm, with temperatures in the 50s. Sunday could be even nicer.
Another storm front developing in the Pacific Ocean should move toward Colorado over the weekend. Forecasters said it was too early Thursday to predict accurately exactly when and where and how much that storm will bring.
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-954-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com
