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Soaking rains turn to snow in parts of Denver as heavy mountain snow persists

1 to 3 inches of rain and snow in the metro area and snowfall totals continuing to pile up in the mountains, as high as 1 to 3 feet.

Denver7 Stacey Donaldson has your forecast for 4/27.

By: Stacey Donaldson

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DENVER — Colorado will see widespread precipitation Saturday, with 1 to 3 inches of rain and snow in the metro area and snowfall totals continuing to pile up in the mountains, as high as 1 to 3 feet.

The soaking rain turned to snow in parts of the Denver metro area Saturday with the heaviest expected to fall during the AM hours. In the upper foothills, snowfall rates of 2-3 inches an hour can be expected for the next 4 to 5 hours straight, according to the National Weather Service.

"Over the Urban Corridor, areas with the heaviest precipitation seem to be cooling enough for snow to be the dominate precipitation type. In the areas with just light precipitation, rain should dominate with snow mixed in. With the heaver precipitation, snow will dominate. Snow will likely not accumulate on paved surfaces, at least not significantly," NWS forecasters wrote.

Heavy, wet snowfall will fall in the foothills and Palmer Divide through Sunday, with the National Weather Service in Boulder predicting snow at elevations as low as 6,000 feet at times Saturday.

If you're heading to the west, prepare for winter driving with slick and snowy conditions on mountain passes! The Front Range mountains are under a Winter Storm Warning into early Sunday morning for 12 to 24 inches of new snowfall. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the central and southern mountains for 6 to 12 inches of new snow.

It will be a super-soaker of a storm for the Denver metro area. We're tracking one to three inches of water through early Sunday with even some slushy snow stacking up on the south side of the metro area above 6,000 feet. The heaviest rain rolls in Saturday morning and the scattered showers stick around all day long.

There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms Saturday, with strong storms possible near Lincoln County, according to the NWS. Quarter-size hail is the main severe weather threat. More widespread severe weather is expected across the Central U.S. plains, including Nebraska and Iowa where tornadoes caused significant damage on Friday.