As the snow from Monday’s storm melts away, the next winter storm is gearing up to drop several inches of snow around Colorado’s mountains, Front Range and northern plains Wednesday into Thursday.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to start dropping snow Wednesday afternoon — around 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. — over the mountains, particularly north of Berthoud Pass. The snow isn’t expected to hit the Denver metro area until around 9:30 p.m. The storm will move east, dropping snow on the eastern plains north of Interstate 76 overnight, according to NWS.
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The central and northern mountains, high valleys and foothills will see periods of moderate to heavy snowfall Thursday, with the heaviest snowfall is expected north of the Interstate 70 corridor. The Interstate 25 corridor and northeast plains will see 3-8 inches, with more snow accumulating near the foothills of Larimer and Boulder Counties, according to NWS.
Here are NWS’s estimated snow totals between Wednesday morning and Friday at 6 p.m.:
- 5 inches in Denver
- 7 inches in Boulder
- 3 inches in Colorado Springs
- 5 inches in Castle Rock
- 8 inches in Fort Collins
- 8 inches in Estes Park
- 4-5 inches in northern eastern plains
- 1-3 inches in central and southern eastern plains
- 9 inches in Vail
- 6 inches in Steamboat Springs
- 9 inches in Fraser
- 5 inches in Aspen
- 2 inches in Gunnison
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for multiple areas in the mountains and northern Front Range and foothills.
The warning is in effect:·
- From 6 a.m. Wednesday through midnight Thursday for Elkhead and Park Mountains
- From 3 p.m. Wednesday through midnight Thursday for the Rabbit Ears Range, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Medicine Bow Range (includes East Slopes Park and Northern Gore Ranges, Gore Pass, Rabbit Ears Pass, Cameron Pass and Willow Creek Pass)
- From 9 p.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Thursday for the northern Front Range foothills (including Estes Park, Glendevey, Nederland, Red Feather Lakes)
Traffic in these areas will likely be difficult or even impossible, according to NWS.
A Winter Weather Advisory, which means winter weather is expected to cause possibly hazardous conditions, is in effect for:
- From 6 a.m. Wednesday through midnight Thursday for mountains in Summit County, the Mosquito Range the Indian Peaks and the Flat Tops (includes Breckenridge, Kenosha Mountains, Mount Evans, Winter Park)
- From 10 p.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Thursday for Fort Collins, Boulder, western suburbs of Denver, Briggsdale, Greeley, Sterling and Julesburg (includes Loveland, Arvada, Golden, Lakewood, Longmont, Pawnee Buttes, Eaton, Fort Lupton, Sterling)
Friday will bring drier and more mild weather, which should lead to quick melting. The high country has a slight chance of snow that day, according to the NWS. The warming trend will continue through the weekend across the Front Range.