Winter is in full swing across the state this week, with heavy snow in the mountains likely and an Arctic cold front headed for the Front Range and plains.
Blizzard conditions across parts of the eastern plains overnight caused some road problems, according to the National Weather Service in Goodland, Kansas, and the Colorado State Patrol, and most highways from Interstate 70 south were closed Tuesday morning.
Looking westward to the mountains, snow and some strong wind gusts are likely Tuesday and Wednesday, and the National Weather Service in Boulder issued a Winter Weather Advisory for areas above 9,000 feet.
The heaviest snow Tuesday will favor the mountains north of Interstate 70, where five to ten inches of snow is possible. The mountains along Interstate 70 will start getting snow Tuesday evening and could see between three and seven inches of snowfall.
Wind gusts in the area could reach between 55 and 65 mph, so hazardous travel conditions from blowing snow are likely.
At the end of this week, an Arctic cold front moves through the state, bringing possible single-digit highs to Denver and the plains.
Forecasters aren’t sure of the timing for the cold front’s arrival in Colorado, but they expect Sunday to be the coldest day. Several models show Denver’s high by Saturday to be below 20 degrees.
There is a 10% to 20% chance high temperatures during the cold front stay at or below zero degrees.
Additionally, the mountains will see an increased potential for heavy snow over the weekend, with one to three feet of snowfall possible in some areas. Forecasters are still working out where and when that will be the strongest.
