Weekend storms taking shape over Colorado – white Christmas likely
Though some uncertainly remains about details, a pair of storm systems are on track to bring snow to most of Colorado over the holiday weekend.
Across southeast Colorado, including Kiowa and Cheyenne counties, Saturday started off noticeably above the freezing mark, with brief rain showers in the area.
The Colorado Department of Transportation’s COTrip.org web site showed wet roads in the southeast, and snowy or icy roads in mountain areas of the western third of the state. Northeast Colorado roads were reported dry at midmorning.
Courtesy of the National Weather Service
While mountain areas have been receiving snow, lower elevations on both sides of the state can look for precipitation falling as rain for at least the first half of the day before quickly shifting to snow Saturday evening.
On the eastern plains, a winter storm watch is in from Saturday evening through Sunday morning for an area stretching southwest from Yuma County to Huerfano County. That portion of eastern Colorado is expected to see the heaviest snowfall amounts, with up to six inches possible. Wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour are also predicted, potentially producing areas of blowing and drifting snow as well as low visibility.
Courtesy of the National Weather Service
In the western portion of the state, winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings will be in effect until at least 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning, with some continuing to midday. Four to 10 inches of snow is possible.
The highest elevations of the northern mountains may receive as much as a foot of new snow.
Wind will be an issue across all of eastern Colorado Saturday night, with gusts from 45 to 55 mph, and some gusts reaching 60 mph.
Courtesy of the National Weather Service
Nearly all of Colorado can expect to see at least one-tenth of an inch of snow, though the extreme southeast, including portions of Baca and Prowers counties and southwest Montezuma County, are likely to miss out on accumulation.
Courtesy of the National Weather Service
Temperatures Saturday in southeast Colorado are expected to reach the mid- to upper 50s before a cold front settles in to drop temperatures to the low 30s for Sunday and Monday. A rebound into the 40s is predicted Tuesday through Friday.
