Winter Storm Warning issued for Denver as Colorado, Wyoming brace for significant May snowstorm
A cold front sweeping through parts of the U.S. is not only expected to bring rounds of heavy rain and severe weather, but it will also deliver a significant late-season snowstorm to the Rocky Mountains.
A cold front sweeping through parts of the U.S. is not only expected to bring rounds of heavy rain and severe weather, but it will also deliver a significant late-season snowstorm to the Rocky Mountains.
Snow is expected to move into the region late Tuesday and peak through Wednesday, as impacts expand, producing the most significant snowfall at higher elevations in Colorado and Wyoming.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, as the system develops to the south, winds are expected to shift from the north and northeast, forcing moist air up the terrain.
This will cool the air rapidly, allowing heavy snow to accumulate even when temperatures hover near freezing.
WHAT IS A WINTER STORM WARNING?
With that, feet of snow could fall at higher elevations of the Rockies, with snow peaking Wednesday.
The heavy snow will create difficult driving conditions and Winter Storm Watches and Warnings have been posted for the Interstate 25 corridor from Denver to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Heavy snow is expected across the central Rockies as colder air filters in behind the front. Some of the highest peaks and passes could see between 1 and 2 feet of heavy, wet snow.
Colorado is expected to see widespread totals of 8 to 12 inches across the northern and central mountains, including popular areas such as Breckenridge and Rocky Mountain National Park.
Wind gusts up to 45 mph combined with falling snow will produce whiteout conditions, making travel over mountain passes dangerous.
In Denver, Monday’s rain is transitioning to a rain-and-snow mix Tuesday as temperatures will struggle to reach the low 40s, with 5 to 8 inches expected through Wednesday.
However, if the wind direction shifts, the cold rain could turn into a more significant snow event.
Areas above 6,000 feet could see several inches of slushy snow accumulation.
Winter Storm Watches have been issued for the entire Denver metro with Winter Storm Warnings already up for the higher elevations northwest of Boulder.
By Thursday, the storm will move out of the Rockies, leaving behind colder and more wintry conditions.
While the snowfall will provide a boost to the regional snow pack, forecasters say it will not be enough to erase the effects of a historic snow drought this past winter.
Denver's May snow average is just 1.4 inches, a big drop from April’s 6.2. In fact, the last time a May storm produced more than 6 inches in one day was back in 2003.
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