Weather
NOAA and OpenSnow.com are calling for big snow in Colorado this weekend:
- NOAA is calling for up to 24+” of snow in the Front Range and Foothills
“Heavy snow likely for Front Range mountains and foothills with accumulations of 2-feet or more possible.” – NOAA Denver, CO today
- OpenSnow.com is calling for 30-40″ of snow in Southern Mountains, Mountains East of the Divide, and Foothills
“The highest snow totals should be in the southern mountains and areas near and especially east of the divide. These locations could get 30+ inches, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see reports of 40+ inches in the foothills west of Denver.” – Joel Gratz/OpenSnow.com, today
“A multi-day storm will impact southern Colorado over the upcoming weekend. A variety of weather hazards will impact the region. Heavy snow will be possible in the mountains. Severe storms, including large hail and tornadoes will be possible over parts of El Paso County and the southeast plains. A mixture of rain, snow and thunderstorms will occur elsewhere. Snow levels will start out kind of high, initially, but may drop to around 5,000 feet by late Saturday. Significant snow accumulations will be possible above the snow level. As we move through Friday night and Saturday, this will become increasingly likely at places like Colorado Springs and possibly even the Pueblo area by Saturday evening.” – NOAA Pueblo, CO today
NOAA has issued a Special Weather Statement and a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Colorado.
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SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT for COLORADO:
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 307 AM MDT WED APR 13 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RANGELY...DINOSAUR...CRAIG...HAYDEN... MEEKER...RIO BLANCO...COLUMBINE...HAHNS PEAK...TOPONAS... STEAMBOAT SPRINGS...GRAND JUNCTION...FRUITA...PALISADE... COLLBRAN...DE BEQUE...NEW CASTLE...MESA...PARACHUTE...RIFLE... SILT...EAGLE...EDWARDS...GLENWOOD SPRINGS...CARBONDALE...BASALT... SKYWAY...ASPEN...VAIL...SNOWMASS...MONTROSE...HOTCHKISS...DELTA... CRESTED BUTTE...TAYLOR PARK...MARBLE...BUFORD...TRAPPERS LAKE... GUNNISON...CIMARRON...RIDGWAY...GLADE PARK...TELLURIDE...OURAY... LAKE CITY...SILVERTON...RICO...HESPERUS...GATEWAY...NUCLA... CORTEZ...DOVE CREEK...MANCOS...DURANGO...BAYFIELD...IGNACIO... PAGOSA SPRINGS...BLANDING...BLUFF...MEXICAN HAT...MANILA... DUTCH JOHN...VERNAL...JENSEN...BALLARD...FORT DUCHESNE... RANDLETT...MOAB...CASTLE VALLEY...THOMPSON SPRINGS...MONTICELLO... CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK...DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK... FRY CANYON ...A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN WEATHER CONDITIONS IS LIKELY LATE THIS WEEK THROUGH THE WEEKEND... ...SIGNIFICANT MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL POSSIBLE BEGINNING FRIDAY AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE WEEKEND... A STRONG STORM SYSTEM NOW OFF THE COAST OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO LATE THIS WEEK AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND. AS A LEADING COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM APPROACHES ON THURSDAY...SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION. EASTERN UTAH AND MUCH OF WESTERN COLORADO COULD EXPERIENCE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. HIGHER WIND GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE VICINITY OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FUELED BY MOISTURE RUNNING AHEAD OF THE STORM. AREAL COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OF SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY AS THE SYSTEM STRENGTHENS WHILE CROSSING THE GREAT BASIN. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO STALL NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS AREA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND. PERSISTENT AND PROLONGED PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL ARE POSSIBLE AND COULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS FOR MOUNTAIN AREAS. INITIALLY SNOW LEVELS WILL BE NEAR 10000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL ON THURSDAY. THEN COLDER AIR ARRIVING WITH THIS DISTURBANCE COULD BRING SNOW LEVELS DOWN INTO THE VALLEYS FRIDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES MAY FALL BY 15 DEGREES OR MORE ON FRIDAY WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE COLD FRONT...RESULTING IN UNSEASONABLY COOL READINGS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY ACROSS NORTHEAST UTAH AND NORTHWEST COLORADO NORTH OF I-70. BEAR IN MIND THAT THE DETAILS FOR THIS STORM REMAIN UNRESOLVED AT THIS TIME. DIFFERENCES IN THE PROJECTED TIMING AND TRACK OF THIS STORM COULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER Outlook for COLORADO:
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
412 AM MDT WED APR 13 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
A FEW AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY
ACROSS THE CENTRAL COLORADO MOUNTAINS...BUT ELSEWHERE CONDITIONS
TODAY WILL BE RELATIVELY QUIET AND SUNNY.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
A STORM SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE WESTERN UNITED STATES WILL CAUSE
AN INCREASE IN WIND SPEEDS ON THURSDAY AND WIDESPREAD
PRECIPITATION ACROSS NORTHEAST UTAH AND NORTHWEST COLORADO BY
THURSDAY NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT RAIN AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE
POSSIBLE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. WINDS COULD REACH UP TO 50 MPH
ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST UTAH AND NORTHWEST COLORADO ON
SATURDAY. IF TRAVELING OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES THIS WEEKEND...BE
PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.
