Blizzard and winter-storm warnings have been issued for the Front Range and Eastern Plains as forecasters anticipate up to 10 inches of snow in Denver on Saturday, 12 inches in the foothills and 20 inches in the mountains.
The National Weather Service said that a powerful storm system is organizing to the west of Denver and is expected to track across Colorado late tonight and Saturday morning.
Snow has started accumulating in the high country, with the Northern and Central Mountains receiving two to four inches, according to raw estimates by the weather service this evening.
Loveland Pass has been closed due to dangerous driving conditions.
Colorado’s northern and eastern plains saw a dramatic change in temperatures starting around 7:30 p.m. Near Greeley in Weld County, temperatures dropped 9 degrees.
In Boulder, residents started reporting snow by 11 p.m. Areas in Cold Creek Canyon and Black Hawk are also experiencing light snow.
Forecasters predict flurries could arrive in the metro area anywhere between midnight and 3 a.m.
“The pressure is still dropping and the storm will continue heading this way,” Carl Burroughs of the National Weather Service said late tonight.
Burroughs said the snow probably won’t stick onto Denver roadways until Saturday morning in Denver as the ground continues to cool.
The winter-storm warning for Denver is in effect from 9 p.m. tonight until 6 p.m. Saturday.
Heavy snow — accompanied by winds of 20 to 30 mph — is expected to hit the Denver area. Forecasters warn that wind gusts could hit 40 mph, making conditions very dangerous.
At Denver International Airport, crews already are preparing for the storm, and airlines are making contingency plans, including some pre-emptive cancellations.
The heaviest snow is expected late tonight and into Saturday morning, with areas of blowing and drifting snow.
Already, said the weather service, heavy bands of snow have developed in the mountains to the west of Denver.
As the storm moves onto the plains east of Denver, severe blizzard conditions are expected.
Snow will be driven by 20 to 35 mph winds, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Forecasters have issued a blizzard warning for northeastern Weld County, central and eastern Adams County, and all of Arapahoe, Elbert and Morgan counties. It takes effect at midnight tonight, through midnight Saturday.
Forecasters warn that driving on the Eastern Plains will become almost impossible.
The wind “will produce whiteout conditions and extremely hazardous or impossible driving conditions for much of Saturday and Saturday night,” said the weather service.
Drivers are cautioned that if they must travel, they should have “survival kit” in their vehicle, including an extra flashlight, food and water. If stranded, motorists should stay with their cars and await rescue, the weather service said.
Carl Burroughs, a weather service spokesman, said that an area of deep low pressure is forming in the Four Corners area and will cause the upslope conditions necessary for the heavy snowfall. The low is expected to track across the state Saturday.
Burroughs said snow will begin falling in Denver between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Accumulations of 5 to 10 inches of snow are expected in the metro area, with the heaviest amounts over eastern Boulder and Larimer counties.
In anticipation of the storm, runway and road-clearing crews at DIA went on full alert at 3 p.m., preparing equipment to de-ice runways and Peña Boulevard, according to Chuck Cannon, DIA spokesman.
United Airlines, the largest carrier at DIA, has been making plans for this storm for several days.
Mike Scanlan, United’s general manager at the airport, said today that about 20 percent of Saturday’s flights are being canceled and that passengers are being contacted for re-routing or they can receive a waiver on change fees if they booked before Thursday.
DIA is expecting 5 to 8 inches of snow, which Scanlan said “is not that big of a deal,” but high winds Saturday are expected to make plowing and plane movements tricky.
Frontier Airlines also began pre-cancelling select flights at times of anticipated heavy snowfall. Anyone traveling Saturday is advised to visit the carrier’s website, , to check the status of their flight and for information on the April 4 travel policy.
Stacey Stegman, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said the agency will activate a snow shift at 7 p.m. today. She said CDOT will put 76 snowplows on the interstates and state highways in the metro area at that time. She said that highway officials expect an average snowfall of about 8 inches on area roads.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
