Late tonight, things will be changing as a storm system moves in from the west. You can expect snow to develop in the mountains, especially after midnight. It won’t be a heavy snow at first, but it will pick up as the night goes on. For the Denver and the metro area, expect rain and snow to develop overnight and last into Friday morning.
By Friday morning, the storm will be moving in closer, bringing snow to the mountains and rain to the plains. Early in the day, the Front Range and Palmer Divide could see a bit of snow, but as the day warms up, it will switch over to rain in most places. Expect it to be pretty windy too, with sustained winds of 35 to 45 mph, and gusts up to 55 mph. So, if you’re heading out, be prepared for blowing snow in the mountains and blowing dust in the drier areas, which could make travel tricky. A High Wind Warning is in effect for the eastern plains on Friday for winds up to 65 mph.
In the mountains, snow will accumulate throughout the day, with some areas receiving 6-12 inches. In SW Colorado we could see as much as 17 inches of snow and Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for this snow. The high winds combined with the snow will make driving tough, especially in the higher elevations.
By Friday evening, the storm should start moving out, but the wind will stick around for a while longer, especially on the eastern plains. So, even as the snow stops, expect some visibility issues in places with blowing snow or dust.
Saturday should bring some relief with calmer weather. Most of the plains will be dry with temperatures in the 40s and 50s, and the mountains will see some light snow in the afternoon, but nothing too major. Winds will be lighter than what we saw on Friday, so it’ll be a nice break before things heat up again.
By Sunday and Monday, we’ll warm up again with temperatures reaching into the 60s. The dry weather will continue, but the combination of high temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds will make fire weather a concern, especially on Sunday.
On Monday for St. Patrick's Day highs will be back around 70 degrees with sunny conditions.
On Monday night, another system will start to move in, bringing snow back to the mountains and possibly rain and snow to the plains by Tuesday. This next storm looks like it’ll be colder, and there could be some snow accumulation in the lower elevations too.
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