DENVER – A storm is set to dump a few inches of snow on Denver late this week, likely leading to slippery travel conditions in the Mile High City.
Snow will begin to fall later in the day on Thursday, with a focus on the Interstate 25 corridor and the Front Range of Colorado.
As the upper-level disturbance moves through the Four Corners region, a surface low-pressure system will develop over eastern New Mexico during the afternoon hours, the FOX Forecast Center said. The winds will meet the mountains and cause the air to rise, resulting in heavier precipitation.
As a result, the heaviest snow will be found along the I-25 corridor and just to the west along the crest of Sangre de Cristos Mountains and the Front Range to the north.
Up to 3 inches of snow is forecast in parts of the Denver metro area by Friday morning, with much higher amounts expected in the mountains to the west. That is where the National Weather Service has issued winter storm alerts.
“Right now, Denver isn’t under an advisory. We do have a Winter Weather Advisory out for the foothills and the western suburbs of Denver,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “Jefferson County is highlighted for that, where we’ll see a couple inches of snow. It extends up towards Estes Park and Boulder.”
Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for the southern part of the Colorado Rockies, moving down across the border into New Mexico.
The FOX Forecast Center said rain is expected to start in Denver on Thursday afternoon before it changes to snow on Thursday night. The snowfall will continue through the Friday morning commute and could help make up for their current snowfall deficit this year.
Denver is expected to receive 1-3 inches of snow, while the foothills could get up to 5 inches. The mountains should easily pick up more than a foot of snow, so the ski resorts along I-70, such as Estes Park, will likely be the main focus.
“If you want to go up towards Winter Park, Keystone, Breck, they’re all going to get a good 10-12 inches of snow,” Merwin said. “So a good news story for them, less and less likely for Denver. We’ll see some, but not a lot.”
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Denver has only picked up around 30 inches of snow this season, less than the typical 52 inches it would receive in an average winter.
“I grew up outside of Denver in the suburbs,” Merwin said. “Love it, and I love March weather. It is actually the top snow month for Denver and the Colorado Rockies, and we’re behind the eight-ball.”
Denver relies on snowpack, so the lower-than-usual levels are cause for concern, Merwin added.
“To have that snowpack and the slow snowmelt over the summer, it moistens up the soil,” she said. “So this ends up being a big deal for folks that live across the Front Range.”