The snowstorm heading towards the foothills of Colorado, Front Range and Eastern Plains is likely to have a powerful impact, but the moment of its arrival has been delayed somewhat.
A winter storm alert published by the National Weather Service for the storm has been delayed. The notice now starts at 5am on Saturday and runs until 6am on Monday. Previously, the notice was posted to start at midnight on Friday and last until midnight on Sunday.
“This is the nature of numerical weather models. Some models think they will move more slowly, ”said Robert Koopmeiners, a meteorologist at the Boulder Meteorological Service.
The possible delay in time does not necessarily mean that the system will weaken or decrease and will not bring as much snow as expected – one to two feet in the urban corridor with two to four feet at the foot, especially the northern foothills, Monday morning -market. Denver is expected to obtain about 50 centimeters of snow by the end of the storm.
“March is the snowiest month in Denver, if you can do it, you can do it now,” said Koopmeiners.
The “significant winter storm” is expected to peak in intensity overnight from Saturday to Sunday, Koopmeiners said.
Temperatures, above 20 degrees, along with the rise and high humidity are expected to combine during Saturday night and give the storm some impact.
“The most violent period will be on Saturday night until early Sunday,” said Koopmeiners.
On Saturday in Denver, the accumulation of new snow is expected to be 7 to 12 centimeters, with an additional accumulation of 10 to 20 centimeters on Saturday night. The chance of precipitation is 100%, according to the meteorological service. The maximum temperature during the day will be 34 degrees and the minimum at night will be around 30 degrees.
Snow is expected to remain heavy at times in Denver on Sunday, when there is a 90% chance of rain and winds will increase, with gusts of 29 mph, the weather service said. Snow on Sunday night in the city is likely before 11 pm, the chance of precipitation is 70% and the low temperature will drop to 24 degrees.
Other Colorado cities in the Winter Storm Alert area include Fort Collins, Greeley, Limon, Granby, Georgetown, Aspen, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs and Cañon City. Larimer County is expected to be among the most affected areas.
Across the state, snowfall will be lighter to the west of the Continental Division. On the eastern plains, warmer temperatures are expected to result in a mixture of rain and snow, which can reduce the depth of snow in some areas, especially along the Kansas and Nebraska borders.
Traveling through the metropolitan area and along the foothills “can become almost impossible from Saturday afternoon to most of Sunday during the height of this storm,” warns the weather service.
Officials and officials from Denver and elsewhere have urged residents to pay attention to the weather and stay at home, only venturing out when absolutely necessary or in an emergency. Denver International Airport expects flight delays and cancellations over the weekend, and events in the metropolitan area, including COVID-19 tests and vaccine distribution, have been canceled.
Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Department of Transportation are among the entities that ask drivers to stay off the road for safety reasons and so that snowplow drivers can plow with less obstruction.
The powerful system is expected to slow down on Monday, with road conditions improving, although there may still be depths of snow on secondary roads, especially at the foot. On Monday, there is a 20% chance of snow in Denver before 11 am and the high temperature is expected to rise to 41 degrees under partly cloudy skies.
The forecast points to another system to bring a chance of snow to the Denver area on Tuesday to Wednesday, but that system will be weaker and of shorter duration.