Colorado weather: State split in half between winter weather, fire danger

Winter weather advisories and red flag warnings split Colorado in half Saturday morning as snow started to fall in western parts of state, but eastern Colorado remained open to critical fire weather conditions.

Warm, dry weather in lower elevations prompted red flag warnings across Colorado’s front range and eastern plains between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

A red flag warning signifies increased fire danger due to warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds — outdoor burning and working with tools that create sparks is discouraged, according to NWS forecasters.

Denver residents can expect high temperatures almost reaching 70 degrees Saturday, with wind gusts as high as 37 mph, NWS forecasters stated. Rain will start Saturday night before turning into snow Sunday morning.

NWS meteorologists out of Pueblo noted extreme fire weather conditions along the southern Interstate 25 corridor Saturday. Winds up to 50 mph and humidity below 15% meant rapid rates of fire growth and spread were possible, meteorologists stated.

Meanwhile, higher elevations across the state were already accumulating snow Saturday morning, according to a NWS hazardous weather outlook.

Breezy conditions and blowing snow will result in difficult travel and possible whiteout conditions throughout the weekend, especially over mountain passes, NWS meteorologists said.

By Sunday, the snow is expected to make its way across the plains, mainly accumulating west of I-25 and south of Denver before the storm fades out Monday, the hazardous weather outlook stated.

While the Denver area is expected to accumulate less than an inch of snow over the weekend, the mountains could see nearly two feet of snow, according to NWS snowfall predictions. Winter Park and Vail Pass are expected to accumulate between 5 and 17 inches of snow before the storm winds down Monday.

Light mountain snow showers will continue through Wednesday, which could create brief periods of poor travel conditions, according to NWS forecasters. By Thursday, snow is expected to pick back up in intensity in the mountains and once again spread across the plains.

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