The blizzard on its way to the foothills of Colorado, Front Range and Eastern Plains is likely to still hit a powerful blow, but the timing of its arrival has been pushed back a bit.
A winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service for the storm has been pushed back. The warning now starts at 05:00 on Saturday and lasts Monday at 06:00. Earlier, the warning was placed to start at midnight on Friday and to last until midnight on Sunday.
“This is the nature of numerical weather models. Some models think it’s going to move more slowly,” said Robert Koopmeiners, a meteorologist from the Boulder Weather Service.
The possible delay in timing does not necessarily mean that the system will be weaker or that it will decrease and not bring as much snow as predicted – one to two feet in the urban corridor with two to four feet at the foothills, especially the northern foothills by Monday morning . Denver is expected to receive about 20 inches of snow by the end of the storm.
“March is Denver’s snowiest month. If you are going to get it, you are going to get it now,” Koopmeiners said.
The “significant winter storm” is expected to peak from Saturday to Sunday, Koopmeiners said.
The temperature in the upper 20s, along with the slope and high moisture content, is expected to combine overnight Saturday and give the storm a bit of a shake.
“The fiercest period is Saturday night until the beginning of Sunday,” Koopmeiners said.
On Saturday, in Denver, new snow accumulation is expected to be 3 to 5 inches, with an additional accumulation of 4 to 8 inches on Saturday night. According to the weather service, the chance of precipitation is 100%. The day’s high temperature will be 34 degrees and the overnight low will be about 30 degrees.
Snow is expected to remain strong in Denver on Sunday, when the chance of precipitation is 90% and the wind will rise to 29 km / h, the weather service said. Snow on Sunday night in the city is probably before 23:00, the chance of precipitation is 70% and the low temperature will drop to 24 degrees.
Other Colorado cities in the Winter Storm Warning area include Fort Collins, Greeley, Limon, Granby, Georgetown, Aspen, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs and Cañon City. Larimer County is expected to be one of the areas hardest hit.
Across the country, snowfall west of the continental gorge will be lighter. On the Eastern Plain, warmer temperatures are expected to cause rain with snow, which could reduce the snow in some areas, especially along the Kansas and Nebraska borders.
Travel across the metro area and along the foothills ‘could become almost impossible late Saturday until much of Sunday,’ the weather service warns.
Authorities and officials in Denver and beyond have asked residents to heed the forecast and stay home and only venture out if absolutely necessary or in an emergency. Denver International Airport is expecting flight delays and cancellations over the weekend, and events in the metro area, including testing COVID-19 and vaccine distribution, have been canceled.
The Colorado State Patrol and Department of Transportation in Colorado is one of the agencies that requires motorists to stay off the road for safety reasons, and thus snow operators can plow with less obstruction.
The powerful system is expected to decline on Monday, and road conditions will improve, although there may still be deep snow depths on secondary roads, especially in the foothills. On Monday there is a 20% chance of snow in Denver before 11 a.m. and the high temperature should climb to 41 degrees under partly cloudy clouds.
The forecast calls for another system to offer a chance for snow in the Denver area late Tuesday through Wednesday, but the system will be weaker and shorter.