With snow having been falling in the mountains west of Denver much of the day and it now arriving in the metro area, all eyes are focused on two storm systems set to impact Colorado in a span of 48 hours. The storms have the makings to be a major winter weather event.
The first system is starting to affect the Denver area late this afternoon. Temperatures have begun to drop and most of the precipitation that is falling is coming down as snow. This will continue this evening through about midnight with the snow possibly becoming heavy at times as snow bands move through. Overnight there will be a lingering slight chance for continued snow but for the most part the period will be a lull between storms. Between 1 and 4 inches can be expected in the metro area before dawn tomorrow.
The second and more potent system arrives tomorrow and that has caused a Winter Storm Watch to be issued that is in effect from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. The watch area stretches from south of Pueblo, through the Denver area and to the Wyoming border.
The setup for this storm is not entirely unlike the storm we had a couple of weeks ago that brought a great deal of snow to the area. Areas east of the Continental Divide including the foothills, Denver area and Palmer Divide should see decent accumulations, enough so that it will cause some problems.
Six to 12 inches are possible with this second storm, heavy amounts being possible in isolated areas and along the foothills and Palmer Divide. Winds on Sunday may cause blowing and drifting snow causing travel woes.
Remember, a Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for a hazardous winter weather event in and close to our area. Significant snow accumulations could occur that would impact travel. Please check back with the Denver Weather Examiner throughout today and the weekend for any updates on this impending winter storm!
ThorntonWeather.com is of course your source for local information on the storm as it develops. We will also be updating the Denver Weather Examiner site as things develop. Here are some quick links to pages you may find handy:
- Current Advisories and Warnings
- ThorntonWeather.com Denver Doppler Radar
- Live Conditions in Thornton
- ThorntonWeather.com Weather Webcams
- Current Road Condtions
- Follow ThorntonWeather.com on Twitter
- And of course check out the Denver Weather Examiner
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