Denver could enjoy both the warmth of holiday spirit and the warmth of Mother Nature on Christmas morning.
The metro region is expected to see highs near 50 and sunny skies, while the mountains enjoy another bout of snowfall, according to the National Weather Service office in Boulder.
Friday, Denver has a 30 percent chance of snow and a high near 34 is forecast, but the weekend outlook calls for sunny skies and highs near 40 on Saturday and near 50 on Sunday.
Heavy snowfall is due in the central and southwestern mountains this evening, making travel extremely hazardous on Christmas Day and Friday.
A winter-storm warning goes into effect from midnight tonight through 6 p.m. Friday for a broad swath of the Colorado mountains, including the cities of Vail, Aspen and Durango.
Between eight and 20 inches of snow are possible.
Thursday night, the High County along the Interstate 70 corridor also could see wind chill factors as low as minus-5 degrees, according to the forecast.
Wind could add another hurdle for travel from blowing snow and deep drifts along some routes, the Colorado Department of Transportation warned.
Snow chances in Summit County are 80 percent on Friday, before precipitation tapers off Saturday, when there is a 20 percent chance of snow and a low of 5 degrees in the forecast.
Highs are expected to be in the 20s in the Central Mountains this weekend.
The latest storm system will follow a storm that left 27 inches at Wolf Creek, 18 at Crested Butte and 17 at Beaver Creek over the past 24 hours.
Demetria Gallegos: 303-954-1683 or dgallegos@denverpost.com
