DENVER — Get ready for another strong storm? Expect a drastic change across Colorado in the next 24 hours!
Windy, warm and dry conditions covered Colorado Tuesday with high fire danger across the eastern plains. Highs soared into the upper 70s to middle 80s on the southeast plains and 50s in the mountains.
Winds are strong and gusty from the southwest at 20 to 40 mph with some 50 mph gusts possible.
A strong storm system will develop across Colorado on Wednesday. Rain and snow will begin over western Colorado this evening and will spread across the state during the day.
In Denver and across northeastern Colorado, rain will develop in the morning and change to snow around midday. Strong winds and heavy snow with blizzard conditions will develop Wednesday afternoon for the northeast plains. A BLIZZARD WARNING has been issued for all of northeastern Colorado and the entire Denver metro area from 3 PM Wednesday until at least 9 AM Thursday.
Right now it looks like 4 to 8 inches for the Denver metro area, 5 to 10 inches in the Foothills and 8 to 12 inches across the northern and central mountains. A few spots in the mountains could pick up 16 to 18 inches as there will be some locally heavy snow bursts.
By Thursday morning, the heavy snow and strong winds will cause road closures on the northeast plains from just east of Denver through most of western Nebraska and parts of northwest Kansas.
This storm will also bring a dramatic drop in temperatures. Wednesday afternoon through Friday will be about 40 to 50 degrees colder than the temperatures Tuesday afternoon.
The weather will stay cool and unsettled for Denver and the eastern plains through Saturday with periods of snow flurries and rain showers. Milder and drier weather will return Sunday and Monday.
