A cold Pacific storm system is expected to bring high winds and heavy snow to the mountains and give the Denver metro area a 20 percent chance of snow before lunchtime Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Less than an inch of accumulation is expected in Denver, before temperatures warm into the 40s in the afternoon. Wind could gusts of up to 30 mph are likely to provide a chilly afternoon in the city, forecasters said.
The mountains are in for much more, and highway and weather officials are warning those headed into the High County to expect slick roads and low visibility Tuesday.
A winter weather warning is in effect for much of Western Colorado until 6 p.m. Tuesday, with up to 10 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 55 mph in some locations, according to the National Weather Service.
The mountain valleys are expected to see about 4 inches of snow Tuesday.
The storm is accompanied by a cold front. The low temperature in Aspen Tuesday is expected to be about 7 degrees, but brisk wind from the west will deliver a wind chill factor of minus-14 degrees Tuesday evening.
In the metro region, temperatures should reach the mid-40s on Wednesday, along with sunny skies and calm winds.
Temperatures in Denver will warm to about 50 degrees on Thursday and Friday and near 60 on Saturday and Sunday.
