Winds carrying Pacific ocean moisture, blowing across Western states including Colorado, are expected to bring steady snow in the mountains and possibly, at the end of the week, metro Denver.
The annual precipitation in metro Denver lags — 11.2 inches, compared with the normal 14.08 inches at this time of year. But weather forecasters Sunday evening said the pattern is shifting toward something more typical of winter.
“Snow-pack is rapidly catching up,” National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Fredin said. “It certainly will catch up in the coming weeks.”
Ski areas need that. At Winter Park on Sunday afternoon, the resort operators reported 12 inches of new snow over 24 hours, and the adjacent Mary Jane Territory opened.
Winter Park operators reported 17 of 25 lifts running. However, only 4 percent of Winter Park’s expert runs, and 16 percent of intermediate runs, were opened, according to the Colorado Ski Country USA snow report.
At Vail, 3 inches of snow fell Sunday, and 144 of 195 ski runs were open.
Denver likely will see low temperatures Monday night around 18 to 22 degrees before clouds roll in Tuesday, giving a 30 percent chance of snow Tuesday night, the weather service meteorologists said. By Friday, metro Denver low temperatures are expected to drop as low as 6 degrees.
“There’s a far better chance for snow up in the mountains this week,” Fredin said. “It will be cold and unsettled. It’ll be snowing all week.”
On mountain roads Sunday, many drivers wrecked but there were no fatalities and few injuries, state Trooper Tim Sutherland said.
After light morning snow in Denver, roads dried by late Sunday. “And from Georgetown to the Eisenhower Tunnel, we’ve got it pretty much under control,” Sutherland said.
State troopers, remembering recent law enforcement fatalities in the line of duty, are urging drivers to move away from emergency vehicles along roadsides.
“People are getting better about it, but it is still a long way from what it needs to be. When you seen an emergency vehicle, please move over,” Sutherland said.
Colorado laws require drivers approaching highway patrol or other emergency vehicles along roads to move to the left if safe to do so, he said. “And if you cannot get over, slow down.”
