A winter storm is developing over southern Idaho and northern Utah and could drop into Colorado by late Wednesday, the National Weather Service says.
In Denver and the Front Range, today’s high should be about 45, with northwest winds between 10 and 17 mph, according to the weather service. The low tonight will be 25.
On Wednesday, the winds will increase, with gusts as high as 28 mph and a temperature of 58. It will turn colder Wednesday night and Thursday behind the strong cold front, forecasters said.
Snow will begin across the Front Range as an upslope flow develops behind the cold front and an upper-level storm system moves southward across Utah and Arizona. Forecasters are saying “several inches” of snow is expected. They stress that the exact path of the storm is still uncertain so residents of the Front Range and the plains should stay tuned for the latest updates.
“If you are planning to travel in the watch area during the time of the watch, listen to the latest weather forecast and consider traveling at another time or by another route,” the National Weather Service advises.
The high in Denver on Thursday will be 29. On Friday, the temperature will be 41.
To the west of Denver, in areas such as Estes Park and Nederland, winds will be strong out of the northwest at 25 to 35 mph — with gusts of 50 to 60 mph — causing areas of blowing snow.
The winter-storm watch from Wednesday evening through Thursday evening covers the La Garita Mountains, the eastern San Juan Mountains, the San Luis Valley and the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Included in the storm watch are Wolf Creek Pass, Alamosa, Creede, South Fork, Crestone, La Veta Pass and Cuchara.
The weather service says snow accumulations of 1 to 2 feet are possible across the mountains and 8 to 12 inches across the valleys.
Creede is expected to receive heavy snow Wednesday night through Thursday night, with up to 12 inches possible. The highs in Creede on Thursday and Friday are predicted to be around 27 degrees.
To the north of Creede, and just out of the area of the winter-storm watch, Gunnison also is expected to receive snow Wednesday night, Thursday and Thursday night.
Forecasters have said Gunnison can expect up to 5 inches of snow Wednesday night but have not yet estimated how much precipitation the area will receive Thursday.
The Gunnison Basin has been hit by a series of wintry blasts beginning in December, which has left 60 inches of crusted snow on the ground and imperiled the mule-deer and pronghorn-antelope herds there.
In a rare move, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has begun feeding the herds in an effort to avert a massive die-off that could decimate the herds for years.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
