“Significant Snow” Possible for Rocky Mountains Next Week | Colorado, Wyoming, Montana

NOAA is calling for the possibility of “significant snowfall” in the Rocky Mountains next week.  If everything goes right, the Rockies in Colorado could see around 12″ of snow next week.  NOAA has issued Hazardous Weather Outlooks for Wyoming and Colorado that call for snow as early as Monday.

NOAA is calling for snow levels to drop as low as 5,500′.

A cold but drier NW flow will lower snow levels to around 6kft that will bring 
potentially significant snowfall to the NW Colorado mtns from Vail Pass northward. 
The GFS has more energy dropping into the backside of the trough that could continue 
snow over the northern mtns into Wednesday. The EC is faster and dries out by 
Wednesday. Elsewhere expect below normal temperatures and freezing Tuesday 
night temperatures into most areas above roughly 5500 ft.
- NOAA Denver, CO today

This could be HUGE for getting Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Pass ski resorts open as early as possible this October…   A-Basin and Loveland are generally the first ski resorts to open in North America every year and they generally do so in October.

Joel Gratz of OpenSnow.com is seeing the possibility of significant snowfall in Colorado next week as well

“The temperature outlook for October 5-11 shows below average temperatures for most of the western US, and this cool air could allow us to see our first significant snow storm of the season.” – Joel Gratz/OpenSnow.com

NOAA has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlooks in both Wyoming and Colorado that call for snow in Wyoming and Colorado as early as Monday.

EARLY NEXT WEEK A STORM MOVING FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC
WILL BRING ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION WITH MOUNTAIN SNOW POSSIBLE
BEGINNING LATE MONDAY NIGHT.

- NOAA Denver, CO today

MONDAY AND TUESDAY...TURNING MUCH COOLER TO COLDER WITH AN GOOD
CHANCE OF SHOWERS...MOUNTAIN SNOW AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
- NOAA Riverton, WY today

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK for COLORADO:

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
451 AM MDT THU SEP 29 2016

LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN-
ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS-ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS-
UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-GRAND VALLEY-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR-
CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS-
GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS-
CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN-
WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS-FLAT TOPS-
UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY-UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE-
NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-
PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER-
FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-ANIMAS RIVER BASIN-
SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-SOUTHEAST UTAH-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS-
EASTERN UINTA BASIN-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU-ARCHES/GRAND FLAT-
LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS-CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES-

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN
COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH THE FOUR CORNERS REGION
FAVORED FOR HEAVY RAIN. THE STRONGEST CELLS WILL BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED
FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO FUEL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
THIS WEEKEND. EARLY NEXT WEEK A STORM MOVING FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC
WILL BRING ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION WITH MOUNTAIN SNOW POSSIBLE
BEGINNING LATE MONDAY NIGHT.