DENVER — A series of storms from the Pacific are dumping rain and snow across California and much of the West Coast. These storms are also bringing heavy snow to the mountains of Colorado.
Denver and the eastern plains tend to miss out of most of the moisture with this type of pattern as the storms race over the high country, dropping most of their snow. The fast pace of the storms mean that the eastern plains are in the "snow shadow" as the moisture is mostly rung out of the system as it rapidly zips to the east.
Farther to the east, these storms can claim higher humidity over the Great Plains and tend to strengthen across Nebraska and Kansas and deliver more rain and snow to the Midwest and the East.
Most ski areas received 4 to 8 inches of snow from this latest storm system, although up to a foot of snow fell near Steamboat and over the southwestern mountains.
Thursday will be mild and dry ahead of yet another Pacific storm system. Highs will be in the 50s on the plains with 30s in the mountains.
The next storm will bring more snow to the high country and plains Thursday night and Friday. This storm should bring 6 to 12 inches of snow to the mountains and flurries to perhaps one inch to the plains. It will not be as big a snow-maker for the Denver area as the one that hit late last week.
The weekend will be dry and relatively mild with just a few snow showers possible in the mountains. Another storm should arrive Monday and Tuesday with more heavy mountain snow and a chance for light snow in Denver.
