Here we go again, Denver.
Another snow event could impact the evening commute, and this one could overperform, setting up the potential for lots of headaches on Wednesday’s drive home across the metro area.
While overall snowfall amounts likely will be on the lighter side — totals of 1 to 4-inches are most likely for the immediate Denver area — it’ll mostly fall during or right around Wednesday’s evening commute.
The snow also will likely start earlier than Monday’s storm, creating a higher likelihood for a nasty evening commute across the metro area. Snow should begin between 1 and 4 p.m., meaning road accumulations will probably be already underway by the time the commute begins.
That could create plenty of red lines and exclamation points on traffic maps this afternoon.
A powerful Arctic cold front will move through the area early on Wednesday afternoon, dropping temperatures from the mid-30s down into the low 20s by the end of the evening rush. That blast of colder air also will be accompanied by a burst of heavier snowfall during the afternoon hours.
In addition to the cold front, the jet stream also will be involved with Wednesday’s event, creating the possibility of narrow bands of heavy snowfall that are often difficult to predict in advance (similar to last Friday’s snowstorm). That likely will set up for some areas of overperforming snowfall amounts, perhaps leading to as much as 6 to 10 inches of snow in some of the higher elevations east and south of Denver. This could also lead to narrow stripes of heavier snow accumulations in Denver and the immediate metro area.
“I think this system has all the ingredients to far exceed expectations,” National Weather Service forecaster Russell Danielson .
In anticipation of a snow event that could overperform, the National Weather Service also tweeted out a higher-case scenario snow forecast for northeast Colorado. Under such a scenario, Denver could well see 4 to 5 inches of snow by the time the snow finishes up late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, potentially creating icy and snowy spots for the Thursday morning drive as well.
Another round of snow is expected to impact the evening commute across the I-25 corridor. If you are traveling this evening, please stay tuned for forecast updates. The left image is expected snowfall totals and the right image has the "high-end" totals.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
If you have the option to leave work early or work from home, Wednesday evening will be a good time for that. Any non-essential travel is also discouraged on Wednesday evening and Wednesday night.
