More snow is coming to Colorado today and they’ve already been skiing and riding since September.  This should add to the snow that has already accumulated nicely in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado (San Juan Mts. snowboard report from Sept. 30th, 2013).

A powerful early winter storm is heading to Southwest Colorado Today that will start with high snow levels before dropping down to 7,500 feet or lower.  Up to a foot of snow is expected with this storm with higher amounts above 10,000-feet.

A Winter Storm Watch is also in effect for much of rest Colorado’s Rocky Mountains with 4-8” expected.

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URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
433 AM MDT WED OCT 9 2013

…POWERFUL EARLY WINTER STORM TAKES AIM AT THE WESTERN COLORADO
MOUNTAINS…

.A DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A COMBINATION OF SNOW AND
WIND TO THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN COLORADO WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING. THIS STORM WILL HIT THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS
WEDNESDAY EVENING…THEN EXPAND NORTHEAST WITH SNOW REACHING THE
NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS BY THURSDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION WILL BE A
MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW EARLY ON…AND ON THE LOWER SLOPES…WITH
RAIN IN THE VALLEYS. ALSO ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE
ON THURSDAY.

SNOW LEVELS WILL BE HIGH WEDNESDAY EVENING…BEGINNING BETWEEN
10000 AND 11000 FEET BUT LOWERING TO 9500 FEET OVERNIGHT. SNOW
LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER TO 7500 FEET ON THURSDAY...WITH
CONVECTIVE BURSTS DRIVING SNOW LOWER AT TIMES. STRONG WINDS WILL
EXIST ABOVE TIMBERLINE…ESPECIALLY THROUGH MIDDAY THURSDAY. THIS
COMBINATION OF SNOW AND WIND MAY CAUSE NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS
OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES AND ABOVE TIMBERLINE.

…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM
MDT THURSDAY…

* TIMING…FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION…6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW MAINLY ABOVE 8000
FEET. HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED ABOVE 10000 FEET.

* SNOW LEVEL…10000 TO 11000 FEET EARLY WEDNESDAY
EVENING…LOWERING TO 9500 FEET OVERNIGHT. THEN FALLING TO
AROUND 7500 FEET ON THURSDAY.

* WINDS…SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH WILL BE
COMMON AT THE MOUNTAIN PASSES AND ABOVE TIMBERLINE…WITH
LOCAL GUSTS REACHING 60 TO 70 MPH THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY.
WINDS WILL DIMINISH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND BECOME WEST 10 TO
20 MPH WITH GUSTS 30 TO 35 MPH.

* VISIBILITY…LOWERING TO LESS THAN 1/4 MILE AT TIMES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.