Colorado weather: Where, when and how much snow to expect during mid-week snowstorm

Snow is falling in the mountains Tuesday morning and flurries could arrive in the Denver area overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

NWS forecasters said the second snowfall of the week could continue through the weekend.

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for mountain ranges above 9,000 feet and Jefferson, Douglas, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Park and Elbert counties from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Wednesday, NWS forecasters said.

According to NWS snow forecasts, between 5 a.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Thursday:

• Denver and Arvada could see between 1 and 6 inches of snow;
• Aurora, Lakewood and Littleton could see between 2 and 7 inches of snow;
• Centennial, Golden and Highlands Ranch could see between 3 and 8 inches of snow;
• Parker could see up to 10 inches of snow.

Snow is expected to start around 7 p.m. Tuesday in the metro area as temperatures fall below freezing, forecasters said.

Forecasters said higher elevations, especially in Colorado’s mountains, could see more than a foot of snow by Wednesday night.

• Cordova Pass in southwestern Colorado’s Spanish Peaks could see between 13 and 22 inches of snow;
• Wolf Creek Pass and La Manga Pass in southwestern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains could see between 12 and 22 inches of snow;
• Cucharas Pass, North La Veta Pass and Pass Creek Pass in central Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains could see between 14 and 23 inches of snow;
• Rabbit Ears Pass, Rocky Mountain National Park and the
  Medicine Bow Mountain Range could see between 3 and 10 inches of snow.

“The unsettled weather pattern will continue Thursday into Saturday with below-normal temperatures and a chance of snow,” NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook. “There is still some uncertainty with the forecast specifics into later part of this week, so future forecasts could have more snow expected than the current thinking.”

Temperature highs in the Denver area will plummet into the low 30s on Wednesday and Thursday before rising back into the mid-40s on Friday, according to NWS forecasters.

Severe weather shelters in Denver will remain open through Thursday morning, according to city officials.

“Hazardous” weather conditions will start Tuesday evening, especially in the mountains, and could continue in the Denver area through Wednesday’s morning commute, forecasters said in the Hazardous Weather Outlook.

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