A small storm dropped several inches of snow on Colorado’s mountains Sunday night, though only light flurries reached Denver. According to the National Weather Service, a second storm is on the way.
NWS forecasters said a “major winter storm” will hit the mountains again Monday night, make its way to lower elevations Tuesday evening and last through Wednesday.
Colorado’s highest elevations could see, on average, between 1 and 3 feet of snow by Wednesday night, NWS forecasters said. According to snow forecasts:
- The Elk Mountain Range — including Ohio Pass, Kebler Pass, Schofield Pass, West Elk Peak and Chair Mountain — will see between 22 and 51 inches of snow;
- Colorado’s Park Range Mountains, including Mount Zirkel and Mount Werner, will see between 20 and 33 inches of snow;
- Cameron Pass, which divides the Medicine Bow Mountains to the north and the Never Summer Range to the south, will see between 12 and 26 inches of snow;
- Colorado’s Flat Tops, including Trappers Peak, will see between 17 and 28 inches of snow;
- Berthoud Pass in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains will see between 14 and 31 inches of snow;
- Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, including Coal Bank Pass and Lizard Head Pass, will see between 13 and 32 inches of snow.
A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect from 3 a.m. Tuesday to 11 p.m. Wednesday.
The warning includes the Front Range mountains and Park and Gore Ranges, Rabbit Ears Pass, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Medicine Bow Range, the mountains of Summit County, the Mosquito Range and the Indian Peaks Wilderness.
“Widespread travel impacts can be expected for all mountain routes, as well as road closures,” NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook. “Any wet roads Wednesday afternoon across the urban corridor and plains will freeze overnight, leading to slick roads Thanksgiving morning.”
Rain will start in the Denver area Tuesday evening, slowly turning to snow overnight as temperatures drop below freezing, forecasters said.
NWS forecasters said 1 to 3 inches of snowfall is likely for the Denver area. On the higher end of the forecast:
- Up to 5 inches of snow could fall in Denver, Arvada and Aurora;
- Up to 6 inches of snow could fall in Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Lakewood, Littleton and Parker;
- Up to 8 inches of snow could fall in Golden.
The snowstorm is expected to wrap up across the state around 11 p.m. Wednesday, forecasters said.
Cold weather will continue for the rest of the week after Thanksgiving, with temperature highs in the mid-30s across the Denver area and in the teens across the mountains.
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