Colorado will see a wet and windy Tuesday as snow falls in the mountains and rainstorms spread across lower elevations, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow started in the mountains overnight and some areas, including Red Mountain Pass in western Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, have already accumulated up to four inches, according to NWS totals.
More snow is on the way and will create hazardous travel conditions, forecasters said.
Forecasters said the storm will continue through Wednesday morning. In addition to what’s already fallen, Tuesday morning snow forecasts include:
- Zero inches to a dusting in Denver and at Denver International Airport
- 2 to 7 inches in Georgetown
- 4 to 13 inches on U.S. 40’s Berthoud Pass, U.S. 6’s Loveland Pass and at the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnels
- 6 to 16 inches on U.S. 40’s Rabbit Ears Pass
- 4 and 19 inches on Mount Zirkel, the highest peak in the Park Range Mountains. Buffalo Pass in the range could also see 8 to 23 inches and 5 to 16 inches is forecast across the rest of the Park Range
- 4 to 11 inches on Copper Mountain
- 6 to 13 inches on Vail Pass
- 7 to 15 inches on West Elk Peak
Jackson, Grand, Larimer, Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Summit and Park counties are all under a Winter Weather Advisory until 6 a.m. Wednesday. That includes the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnels, Park Range mountains, Rocky Mountain National Park, Mosquito Range mountains and Laramie and Medicine Bow mountains.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible in the mountain counties, creating blowing snow and white-out conditions, forecasters said in the advisory.
Rain showers will be likely in and near Denver after 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to NWS forecasters.
Forecasters said there’s a chance snow may mix with rain before 10 p.m. and the storm may turn fully to snow between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., but little to no accumulation is expected.
Rain and snow will return Wednesday evening across the state with “a better chance of showers Thursday afternoon and again from Friday afternoon into Saturday morning,” forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook.
Snow accumulation forecasts were not available Tuesday morning for the storm’s second wave.
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