Light snow is falling in the Denver area, especially west and south of the city, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow will fall over the mountains, metro area and most of the plains this morning, NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook. Forecasters said an inch or two of snow is expected in Denver, with 2 to 4 inches in areas south of the city.
Minimal snow is expected in the foothills and lower mountain valleys, and Colorado’s higher-elevation mountains could see between 3 and 5 inches of snow, according to Thursday morning snow forecasts.
The most snow is expected to fall in southern Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a range in the Rocky Mountains, according to Thursday morning snow forecasts.
Culebra Peak, the highest summit in the mountain range, could see up to 11 inches of fresh snowfall Thursday and the nearby Cordova Pass could see 14 inches, forecasters said.
The snow will become widespread in the Denver area with stronger winds by 8 a.m. and be strongest in the city before 3 p.m. Thursday, NWS forecasters said. Drifting snow will be possible over the Eastern Plains by midday.
Forecasters said the morning snow will create “variable road conditions,” leading to a tricky morning commute around Denver.
Snowfall is expected to dry up across the Front Range by midday, but winds will continue this afternoon, forecasters said in the Hazardous Weather Outlook.
A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for Denver, Castle Rock, Byers, Limon, southern Lincoln and Douglas counties, Akron and Larkspur until 5 p.m. Thursday. Denver will be removed from the alert at 10 a.m., forecasters said.
Up to 3 inches of snow is expected in those areas and strong winds could create blowing snow and white-out conditions, forecasters said in the advisory.
The next winter weather system will move into Colorado’s mountains Friday evening and chilly, below-normal temperatures are forecast to continue “well into next week,” according to the Hazardous Weather Outlook.
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