Colorado storm alert: Road conditions, timing of snow and snowfall totals
March came in like a lamb with near-70 degree temperatures but is expected to quickly live up to its status as Colorado's snowiest month of the year.
The snowstorm that moves in starting Friday and could linger into Monday morning isn't forecast to rival last year's March storm that dropped 20 inches of snow and cost Fort Collins $2.75 million in cleanup costs.
But it is expected to prop up sagging snowpack in Colorado's northern mountains and provide needed moisture in the form of rain and snow along the Interstate 25 corridor and Eastern Plains.
Here's a breakdown of the storm, including the timing, travel impacts and how much snow to expect.
Timing of storm to hamper weekend plans
A series of low-pressure systems will move across the state beginning Friday night, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder.
That will bring snow starting in the mountains Friday and a rain/snow mix Friday night along the I-25 corridor and Eastern Plains. Much colder temperatures and multiple periods of snow will continue through at least Sunday night.
For Fort Collins, there is a 30% chance of rain after 5 p.m. Friday increasing to 90% chance of a rain/snow mix Friday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Saturday, there is a 90% chance of a rain/snow mix turning to all snow after 7 a.m., with new snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible during the day, another 1 to 2 inches Saturday night and again throughout Sunday.
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How the storm will impact road conditions
The main concern is for the northern mountains, where a winter weather advisory is in effect from 5 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday with 10 to 20 inches of snow and wind gusts to 40 mph expected.
Road conditions are expected to deteriorate starting Friday night in areas that include Rocky Mountain National Park; Medicine Bow Range, which includes Cameron Pass; Rabbit Ears Pass; Indian Peaks; the mountains of Summit County and the Mosquito Range.
Highways impacted will include Colorado Highway 14, U.S. Highway 40 and Interstate 70 as well as Interstate 80 in southern Wyoming.
There also is potential for heavy snow on the Eastern Plains on Friday night, which could impact Interstate 76 travel.
Travel along I-25 is not expected to be impacted.
For road conditions, call 511 or visit www.cotrip.org in Colorado and https://wyoroad.info/ for Wyoming conditions.
How much snow is forecast to fall?
This storm will favor the mountains with 10 to 20 inches of snow expected across much of the northern mountains. The bull's-eye appears to be a swath from Rocky Mountain National Park north into extreme western Larimer County and the Rabbit Ears area east of Steamboat Springs.
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State climatologist Russ Schumacher said snowfall totals during spring storms are difficult to predict because of the fine line between temperatures being cold enough to snow and warm enough to rain. Also, recent warm temperatures will allow at least early snowfall to melt instead of accumulate.
"During the March snowstorm we had last year (which dropped 20 inches of snow), the first 12 hours of it the snow didn't accumulate,'' he said. "We could have ended up with a lot more snow if it had been 1 to 2 degrees cooler during that time. And that's what makes forecasting spring snowfall totals so challenging.''
Here is a look at other snowfall forecasts, according to the National Weather Service.
Fort Collins: 4 to 6 inches
Greeley: 4 to 6 inches
Estes Park: 4 to 6 inches
Sterling: 3 to 4 inches
Boulder: 6 to 8 inches
Denver: 4 to 6 inches
Denver International Airport: 4 to 6 inches
Steamboat Springs: 6 to 8 inches
Vail: 8 to 12 inches
Cheyenne: 6 to 8 inches
Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at milesblumhardt@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado snow forecast: Road conditions, timing, snowfall totals
