Several winter storm warnings and a blizzard warning have been issued across Colorado as a winter storm approaches, bringing the possibility of up to 3 feet of snow in some areas on Wednesday.
Denver will see a warm Tuesday in the calm before the storm, with mostly sunny skies and a high of 61 degrees. Heavy snow is expected across the state starting late Tuesday afternoon in the mountains and continuing through Wednesday evening.
The heaviest snow is expected in the eastern San Juan Mountains to the south and in the Park Range and Larimer County foothills to the north.
The San Juan Mountains are in a blizzard warning for between 1 and 3 feet of snow, and the Park Range and Larimer County are in a winter storm warning for between 8 inches and 3 feet of snow on the highest peaks and winds up to 55 mph.
“This will likely lead to periods of poor visibility and difficult travel conditions, especially in the Colorado high country,” the National Weather Service in Boulder said in the warning. “Also, look for slow travel for the morning and afternoon commutes on Wednesday.”
Denver’s western suburbs and Boulder County are in a winter storm warning as up to 8 inches of snow is expected there.
Denver, Arapahoe, Adams and part of Douglas counties are in a winter weather advisory for snow between 3 and 6 inches and winds gusting up to 45 mph.
As well as heavy snow and high winds, temperatures Wednesday and Thursday will plummet to negative-degree wind chills across most of the state.
Denver’s predicted high Wednesday is 28 degrees, and the low is one degree, but wind chills could drop to minus 1 degree. Further east near Julesburg and Sterling, wind chills could drop to between minus 13 and minus 16 degrees.
Thursday will be even colder, as Denver’s wind chills could get to minus 9 degrees, Denver International Airport could get to minus 16 degrees, the mountains could see negative teens and 20s, and the far northeast corner of the state could get to the minus 30s.
Friday will warm back up to a high of 40 degrees in Denver, and Saturday will see a return to the 50s.
