Radar image at 11:00 am MST shows heavy snow over much of northeast Colorado (mountain precipitation generally doesn't show up well on radar, since the mountains alter the radar signals)
A big winter storm is affecting most of Colorado today, with heavy, wet snow falling in Denver and the Front Range metro area this morning. Additionally, heavier snow than expected is falling west of the Continental Divide in Summit County and Vail as a result of some unique wind patterns associated with this system. The Southern San Juan Range has seen the most snow so far, with Wolf Creek reporting 16" as of 6 a.m. this morning. Snow began in Denver around 6:00 a.m. and will continue through the late evening, with blizzard conditions expected east of the city.
Denver, Front Range, and Eastern Plains
Steady snow began around sunrise in Denver this morning, with temperatures starting out near to even a little above freezing in much of the city. Soon after the snow began, temperatures fell below freezing, and will continue to slowly fall into the 20's throughout the day. The moisture content is high, so the snow that has fallen thus far is of the heavy and wet variety. The forecast of 8-12 inches for the metro area is still on track, with southern and western areas seeing the highest totals. As of 11 a.m., NCAR's Marshall Field Site just outside of Boulder is already reporting 4.5 inches.
The heaviest snow will fall in the Front Range mountains and foothills, with 1-2 feet possible at elevations above 7,000 feet up to the Continental Divide. Areas along the divide such as Loveland and Berthoud Pass are experiencing heavy snowfall, and just on the western side of the Divide, Winter Park is in fact also getting heavy snow today. Remote sensor stations are already indicating up to half a foot for areas from Berthoud Pass to the Indian Peaks to Rocky Mountain National Park.
On the eastern Plains, heavy snow and high winds are creating blizzard-like conditions. Blizzard warnings remain in effect for all of northeastern Colorado, with nasty travel conditions expected on I-70 and I-76 east of Denver.
Snow will come to an end across the region tonight, with overnight temperatures falling into the teens under clearing skies. Tomorrow, the sun returns to the entire area, with highs in Denver reaching the upper 30's.
Northern/Central Mountains
Areas west of the Continental Divide from Vail to Summit County to the Gore Range are getting in on the action after all, with a complex storm circulation pattern creating favorable wind directions for these areas. More often than not, Vail and Summit County do not simultaneously receive heavy snow at the same time as Denver, but every storm is different, and today is an exception (so far) with good snow falling for these areas, much to the delight of skiers and snowboarders. Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone, and A-Basin were already reporting 3-5" on their early morning snow reports, and surface observations and web cam images have indicated that snow has continued for these areas throughout the morning. There have been some heavy snow reports from Steamboat as well, although for a change, this area actually looks less favorable than all other areas farther south.
Southern/Western Mountains
Heavy snow arrived in the San Juan Mountains yesterday, favoring the southern part of the range, and will continue into this afternoon before most of the moisture exits to the east. Early morning snow reports including 16" at Wolf Creek, 9" at Purgatory/Durango, and 8" at Silverton. Telluride had not received any new snow as of this morning, however, since they are not favored by southwesterly winds. The Grand Mesa and Elk Range (Aspen/Crested Butte) also did not experience the heavy snow that the San Juans experienced overnight, but radar images and surface observations out of Grand Junction have been indicating moderate snow over these areas throughout the morning. Farther east, heavy snow will fall in the Sangre de Christo Range today, as this area does will with easterly upslope winds.
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