DENVER — A winter storm watch and winter weather advisory will go into effect in Colorado as the next storm system is set to dump several inches of snow after a mild start to the week.
Denver could see 2 to 4 inches of snow with this system but the higher amounts are forecasted for northern Colorado, as of the latest forecast on Monday.
The winter storm watch goes into effect Tuesday at Midnight through Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service Office in Boulder, the northern front range foothills, Fort Collins, Nederland and Briggsdale are among the communities in the watch area and could see 5 to 8 inches with up to 12 inches of snow possible in the foothills of Larimer County.
A winter weather watchgoes into effect at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday morning for an area including Rabbit Ears Pass and the Rocky Mountain National Park with 9 to 16 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 45 mph, the NWS said.
The eastern Sawatch, La Garita and Eastern San Juan Mountains could see 6 to 18 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 80 mph. This area goes under a winter weather watch Tuesday afternoon through Thursday.
TheDenver metro area is set to go under a winter weather advisory from 2 a.m. until 8 p.m. Wednesday. Denver7 morning meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo said 2 to 4 inches of snow could make for a messy Wednesday morning commute. She said heaviest snow should be near Fort Collins and Estes Park.
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Ahead of the snow, high winds remain a concern across the front range mountains and foothills.
Monday and Tuesday, a high wind warning is in effect for this area with gusts up to 75 mph possible.
Areas in the warning include Rocky Mountain National Park, Medicine Bow Range, Mountains of Summit County, Mosquito Range, Indian Peaks, Northern Front Range Foothills and the Southern Front Range Foothills, according to the NWS.
Winds are expected to be strongest on Monday and Tuesday mornings, particularly in the wind-prone areas above 6,000 feet. Power outages are possible as are downed tree limbs. The NWS warned motorists, particularly those in high-profile vehicles, to be on alert.
Wind gusts along the I-25 corridor could be as high as 30 to 50 mph, NWS tweeted.
Aftermild conditions across the front range, including high temps in Denver on Monday of 55 degrees and almost 60 degrees on Tuesday, a rain/snow mix develops Tuesday evening and into the overnight hours with the bulk of the snow falling on Wednesday, Hidalgo said.
Expect snow-covered roads and blowing snow for the morning and afternoon commute Wednesday, said the NWS.
A Denver7 Weather Action Day goes into effect at 11a.m. Monday and we will continue to update the latest snowfall projections and forecast to help you prepare for the midweek weather change.
On Thursday, skies will clear across Colorado and with a high temperature of 27 degrees expected. Sunshine returns for the end of the week with 47 degrees and mostly sunny skies on Saturday and mid 50s on Sunday.
Stay with Denver7 as the storm approaches and refresh this page for timing and forecasted snowfall updates. We will publish a live blog of weather updates, road closures and potential delays on Wednesday morning.
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