Arctic cold will return to the metro region by the weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder.
Denver metro will continue seeing flurries or snow showers early evening, with clearing skies late. Lows in the mid-20s are expected overnight.
The High County has a 90 percent chance of snow, with most locations seeing up to eight inches of accumulation by morning and another eight inches through tonight, forecasters said. The mountains have already been hit with big accumulations this week, making for excellent skiing conditions.
The weather service said blowing snow was expected to produce
local whiteout conditions over the Colorado mountains this afternoon.
U.S. 550 over Red Mountain Pass has been closed down while crews trigger an avalanche threatening the
highway. The pass is south of Ouray and about 200 miles southwest of Denver.
Denver has a chance of snow the next few days, but only flurries are forecast.
The high Friday could reach the mid 40s, before sever arctic cold moves in Friday night, forecasters said.
The high Saturday could reach only 16, with a low of minus-6 Saturday.
The Broncos game Sunday will be played somewhere between the high of 14 and the low of 5.
Highs will be in the 20s and 30s next week, but lows in the teens through midweek, with a 10 to 20 percent chance of snow Monday and Tuesday.
The winter has been generous with snow to some, but not other, regions. The statewide snowpack is at 89 percent of its 30-year average.
The basins of the Arkansas and Colorado rivers are at 103 and 104 percent of average, respectively. The rest of the state’s river basins are below average, with the shared basin of the Yampa and White rivers last at 77 percent of average.
The South Platte River basin, which include the metro region, is at 93 percent of average, according to the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service snowpack measurement updated Wednesday.
