NOAA: Up to 8″ of Snow Expected Today in Central & South Colorado

Colorado currently has three different Winter Weather Watches in effect from noon today until 9am tomorrow morning.  

NOAA is calling for:

– 4-8″ of new snow in the Western Mosquito Range/East Lake County above 11,000-feet

– 4-6″ of new snow in Central Colorado including Breckenridge above 10,000-feet

– 3-6″ of new snow in the San Juan, Gore, Elk, and Sawatch mountains above 9,500-feet

Colorado nearly always has the first ski resort openings in the USA with resorts opening last year as early as October 15th.  We’ve got our fingers crossed.  Winter is certainly coming.

NOAA:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
447 AM MDT THU OCT 9 2014

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 AM MDT
FRIDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON
TODAY TO 9 AM MDT FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.

* LOCATION...THE EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS AND THE WESTERN
  MOSQUITO RANGE ABOVE 11000 FEET.

* CAUSE AND TIMING...AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WITH ABUNDANT
  PACIFIC MOISTURE WILL MOVE INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION TODAY AND
  SLOWLY CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO
  THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING PERIODS OF
  MODERATE TO OCCASIONAL HEAVY SNOWFALL TO THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE
  CENTRAL MOUNTAINS... ESPECIALLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
  TONIGHT.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION...4 TO 8 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
  POSSIBLE.

* WIND...EAST TO NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 20 MPH.

* IMPACT...HEAVY WET SNOW WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL
  CONDITIONS OVER HIGH MOUNTAIN ROADS AND BACK COUNTRY TRAILS.