The atmospheric river that left California flooded is currently hitting Colorado with high temps and heavy snow affecting the higher elevations in good and not so good ways.
Related: Firehose Remains Open But Powder Chases Are Tricky This Week
Currently in Steamboat, a wintry mix that includes high moisture content snow is reaching all the way up to 9,000′ with the higher elevations seeing high snowfall totals while the lower elevations get drenched.
“Warm air aloft has resulted in the inversions to break in many areas.. .Freezing rain will continue for the next few hours as a strong weather system moves through the area. ” NWS Grand Junction
The same is true for most Colorado resorts with the exceptions being places like A-Basin, Loveland, Crested Butte, Monarch, Copper, and Breckenridge. Thankfully, snow levels are set to fall starting tomorrow and most of that heavy snow will turn to light, Colorado blower by Friday!
Winter Storm Warning
…HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS IN THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY…
.THERE HAS BEEN A TEMPORARY LULL IN THE SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN COLORADO OVERNIGHT. HEAVY SNOW WILL REDEVELOP BY MIDDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. SNOWFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED AS THE STRONGEST PORTION OF THE STORM MOVES THROUGH. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL TOTALS WILL BE IN THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS NORTH OF BERTHOUD PASS…BUT EVEN THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR IS EXPECTED SEE A PROLONGED PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW MONDAY AFTERNOON AND MONDAY NIGHT. ROAD CLOSURES WILL BE POSSIBLE.
THE ADDITIONAL SNOW COMBINED WITH WINDS GUSTING OVER 60 MPH IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WILL CAUSE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER THE HIGHER PASSES AND WILL ALSO INCREASE THE AVALANCHE DANGER. PEOPLE PLANNING ON TRAVELING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD CHECK ON ROAD CONDITIONS…ALLOW LOTS OF EXTRA TIME…AND CONSIDER TRAVELING EARLY THIS MORNING…WAITING UNTIL TOMORROW…OR TAKING AN ALTERNATE ROUTE. THERE MAY ONLY BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF BETTER TRAVEL CONDITIONS TUESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER STRONG WINTER STORM ARRIVES TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOULD FINALLY TAPER OFF IN THE COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY LATE THURSDAY AND END BY FRIDAY.
…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST TUESDAY…
* TIMING…SNOW WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND BE HEAVY AT TIMES TONIGHT…ESPECIALLY THIS EVENING. SNOW WILL FINALLY DECREASE TUESDAY MORNING.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…AN ADDITIONAL 8 TO 14 INCHES GIVING STORM TOTALS OF 12 TO 24 INCHES.
* WIND/VISIBILITY…WEST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. HIGHER EXPOSED AREAS WILL SEE GUSTS OF 50-70 MPH WHICH WILL CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES.
* IMPACTS…ROADS ARE ALREADY SNOW COVERED. CONDITIONS WILL FURTHER DETERIORATE BY LATE AFTERNOON AS HEAVY SNOW REDEVELOPS. TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL, POOR VISIBILITIES, AND DRIFTING SNOW.