A winter storm will hit most of northern and northeast Colorado late Monday night and early Tuesday morning, causing blizzard conditions in the plains east of Denver and heavy snowfall west in the mountains.
Headline Update! The eastern plains have been upgraded to a Blizzard Warning, in effect from midnight tonight through midnight tomorrow. Travel will become very hazardous in those areas. Avoid travel east and northeast of Denver late tonight through Tuesday! ⚠
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
Monday will start out partly sunny with mild temperatures up to 54 degrees and some wind gusts up to 18 mph. Monday afternoon could see some cooler temperatures ahead of the cold front, but the main cold front will arrive to the area in the mid evening.
Temperatures Monday night will drop to 23 degrees, then reach only 33 degrees as a high on Tuesday.
Snow will start in the mountains Monday afternoon and increase into the evening, but the snowfall across the plains will hold off until late evening and overnight.
The exact timing and location of the strongest parts of the storm are still being determined, forecasters at the National Weather Service said, but Denver and the Interstate 25 corridor could see some heavy snow along with the mountains and plains.
The plains directly east and northeast of Denver from the rural parts of Adams and Arapahoe counties to Logan County are in a blizzard warning through Tuesday as the heavy snow and strong winds up to 65 mph could cause whiteout conditions.
The heavy band of snow is likely to develop in the eastern portions or Adams and Arapahoe counties and move eastward, causing significant travel impacts in the area.
“Avoid travel northeast and east of Denver during these times, as whiteout conditions will likely develop, making for treacherous travel and possible stranded motorists,” forecasters said. “Mountain areas will see difficult travel with several inches of snow and blowing snow. Elsewhere, including much of the immediate I-25 Corridor, generally lighter snowfall is expected but be prepared for slick and hazardous road conditions into the Tuesday morning commute.”
The snow will continue across the plains Tuesday, with the greatest threat being around Sterling, Fort Morgan and Byers during the day.
Here are the latest expected snowfall amounts for the upcoming winter storm, along with low/high end potential amounts. Still quite a bit of uncertainty with how this storm evolves.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)
In total, Denver could most likely see around one to three inches of snow, with the highest estimated total being 4.4 inches. Denver International Airport could see up to seven inches of snow.
Anywhere from three to 14 inches of snow could fall in the mountains, with the highest estimate being 15.3 inches in Vail. In the plains, Fort Morgan and Akron could see five to 12 inches of snow.
