A cold front moving into Colorado has brought with it a new wave of mountain snow, according to National Weather Service forecasters.
The most snow is expected to fall in Colorado’s Park Range of the Rocky Mountains, according to NWS snow forecasts. As of Tuesday morning, NWS forecasters called for:
- Up to 17 inches of snow on Mount Zirkel, the highest summit in the Park Range, and Buffalo Pass;
- Up to 12 inches on other Park Range peaks;
- Up to 11 inches of snow on Rabbit Ears Pass, a U.S. 40 mountain pass near Steamboat Springs;
- Up to 8 inches of snow along Milner Pass in Rocky Mountain National Park;
- Up to 9 inches of snow along Rollins Pass in the southern Rocky Mountains;
- And up to 4 inches near Loveland, Vail, Breckenridge and Keystone Mountain.
Snow was already falling Tuesday morning and is expected to continue through 7 p.m., NWS forecasters said.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Colorado mountains above 9,000 feet, including Jackson and Grand counties, until 8 p.m. Tuesday. The advisory warns of hazardous and difficult driving conditions in the mountains.
Wind gusts up to 60 mph in the mountains will turn snow into blowing snow throughout the day, causing white-out conditions along Interstate 70 and mountain passes, according to an NWS Hazardous Weather Outlook.
Forecasters said snow in the mountains is expected to end late Tuesday evening but windy conditions will continue through Wednesday.
Snow and rain will likely not reach the Denver area on Tuesday, but strong wind gusts up to 45 mph will blow through the city in the afternoon, NWS forecasters said in the outlook.
The city will be mostly sunny Tuesday with temperatures peaking near 53 degrees before dropping into the low 20s overnight, according to NWS forecasters. A warming trend will start Wednesday that brings temperature highs back up to 60 degrees through the weekend.
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