High Country travelers could face up to a foot of snow by Friday morning, but city commuters are expected to see an inch or less that should melt off quickly, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder.
Most mountain locations should get at least 6 inches of new snow for the weekend. Cold air from the northwest moves out Friday, but many areas are likely to see additional accumulations Saturday and Sunday, forecasters said.
A winter weather advisory — meaning tricky road conditions — is in effect until 6 a.m. Friday on much of the Western Slope.
Temperatures in the metro region are expected to warm up to 45 degrees Friday and 49 on Sunday, according to the forecast.
Most of the Front Range has a 30 percent chance of snow Sunday, before a warm-up into the upper 40s next week.
The foothills have a 40 percent chance of snow Sunday night.
Heading into March, Colorado’s snowiest month, snowpack has improved by nearly 10 percent across most of southern Colorado the past two weeks, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which conducts the snow measurements.
Southern Colorado is near or above the 30-year average for snowpack, but the state is at 90 percent, as the rest of the stag lags in snow this season.
The South Platte River basin, which includes Denver, is at just 83 percent of average, but that’s the best in northern Colorado. The North Platte River basin is at 77 percent and the shared basin of Yampa and White rivers is at 76 percent as of Thursday.
Snowpack is critical in Colorado, as it fills rivers and reservoirs with the spring runoff, affecting rafting, fishing, lawn and agricultural irrigation, as well as drinking water.
