Even as the second round of snow to hit Colorado’s mountains in the last week winds down Sunday morning, a third wave is expected to arrive in the evening, according to National Weather Service forecasters.
The mountains will, on average, see between 2 and 8 inches of fresh snow from Sunday night to Monday morning, according to a NWS Winter Weather Advisory. Some higher-elevation areas could see more than a foot of fresh snow.
The advisory will be in effect for northern Colorado’s mountains from 11 p.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Monday.
“Snow will taper off in the mountains late this morning but gusty winds will continue through the afternoon,” NWS forecasters from Boulder said. “Snow will redevelop late this evening and continue through Monday.”
Strong winds will also continue through Monday, turning heavy snow into blowing snow and causing white-out conditions on mountain roads, forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook.
Forecasters said the heaviest snow will fall north of Cottonwood Pass, a high mountain pass on the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains.
According to Sunday morning snow forecasts, up to:
- 13 inches of snow will accumulate on Berthoud Pass;
- 10 inches of snow will accumulate on Loveland Pass;
- 25 inches of snow will accumulate on Rabbit Ears Pass on U.S. 40;
- 36 inches of snow will accumulate in northern Colorado’s Park Range mountains, including Mount Zirkel and Mount Werner;
- 9 inches will accumulate at the Eisenhower Tunnels;
- 12 inches of snow will accumulate in Breckenridge;
- 8 inches of snow will accumulate on Keystone Mountain.
No snow is expected to fall in the Denver area, though forecasters said Golden might get a light dusting late Sunday night.
Forecasters said this wave of snow is expected to be the last for the moment, but light snow showers are expected to return later in the week.
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