As predicted, snow began falling steadily early Tuesday evening in northern Colorado and had moved south into Denver by 9 p.m.
The Colorado Department of Transportation said crews were “mobilizing”before the storm moved in, threatening to drop significant amounts of snow throughout the state.
A winter weather advisory for Denver went into effect at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and lasts through 5 a.m. Wednesday. Forecasters are calling for up to 5 inches of snow in the Denver area.
Boulder was on accident alert by 9:45 p.m.
“Steadier snow will become more widespread (Tuesday) afternoon and may be heavy at times this evening,” the National Weather Service in Boulder said.
Snowfall is expected to diminish in the city after midnight, though heavier snow may linger south of Denver into the early morning hours on Wednesday.
CDOT crews in the Denver area and along the Interstate 70 corridor will begin rotating 12-hour shifts throughout the storm with up to 122 pieces of snow removal equipment at any given time.
Denver Public Works says its snow plow crews will be on duty overnight to tend to the city’s main streets. Those crews will tackle roadways in the city’s fleet of 70 “big trucks” by plowing snow and laying down de-icing materials.
Forecasters are calling for between 2 and 5 inches of snow in Denver and up to 7 inches near the foothills and in southern Douglas and Elbert counties.
Estes Park, Nederland, Red Feather Lakes, Georgetown, Idaho Springs and Evergreen could see up to 10 inches of snow.
The weather service said winds could blow up to 30 mph later Tuesday leaving visibility poor as snow whips up into the air.
A winter storm warning is in effect for much of the high country, which is expected to be buried in snow — up to 30 inches total in some areas of the north-central mountains — as the system moves through.
Forecasters are calling for a high Tuesday of 29 degrees with an overnight low of 6.
Temperatures are set to top out at 19 degrees on Wednesday. Cold weather is expected to last through Thursday, the weather service says.
Stay with The Denver Post for the latest on this winter storm.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
