Colorado winter storm: Latest on snow totals, timing and travel impacts

As the latest storm approaches Colorado, the National Weather Service released updated information Tuesday, including an uptick in snowfall forecast and increased impacts to the Interstate 25 corridor from Monday's forecast.

The weather service has issued a winter storm warning from 5 p.m. Tuesday through 5 p.m. Wednesday evening from just west of I-25 from the Colorado-Wyoming border line south to Castle Rock and east to the Nebraska and Kansas borders. The area could see 6 to 13 inches of snow with up to 35-mph wind gusts.

The weather service has a high confidence of the storm's timing, travel impacts and snowfall totals.

This story includes updates from Tuesday, Jan. 17. Looking for updates from Wednesday, Jan. 18? We're including snow updates from Wednesday in this story.

Here's a list of local closures and cancellations.

Here is an updated breakdown of the storm and its impacts:

Fort Collins and Loveland on accident alert

Just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, Loveland and Fort Collins both went on accident alert, meaning drivers in those cities who are involved in a crash should report it online rather than calling police.

This applies only to crashes where there are no injuries, impairment, uninsured vehicles or unmovable vehicles.

Report crashes at https://dmv.colorado.gov/report-accident.

Poudre, Thompson, Weld RE-4 school districts close schools for snow day Wednesday

Poudre School District called a snow day for Wednesday just after noon Tuesday, based on the forecasts for “inclement weather and road conditions.”

Thompson School District in Loveland and Weld RE-4 serving Windsor and Severance also announced snow days.

In an email to parents and staff Tuesday afternoon, PSD noted that this will be a true snow day because of “inclement weather and road conditions” and not a remote learning day.

The cancellation applies to all PSD neighborhood and choice schools, the district wrote in the email. Parents and guardians of students enrolled in PSD-authorized charter schools should contact their individual schools for information regarding operations Wednesday. High school students who take classes at Front Range Community College or Colorado State University should check with those schools for the status of classes Wednesday.

All after-school activities and athletics at PSD schools scheduled for Wednesday will be canceled, along with the district’s AlphaBEST before- and after-school care.

After-school activities and athletics scheduled for Tuesday will still be permitted to take place “as of now,” the district wrote in the email sent just after 12 p.m., “unless otherwise communicated by your school, coach or activity sponsor.” Parents and guardians, they noted, can always choose to keep their students at home.

CSU “is monitoring conditions and will make a decision by 5 a.m. Wednesday,” a school spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon. Spokespeople for Front Range Community College said any decisions about closures Wednesday would likely be made later Tuesday or early Wednesday morning.

− Kelly Lyell

Why this storm is not your typical January storm

First, January is not a big snow producer along the Front Range. It is the sixth-snowiest month in Denver. Second, when it does snow, it usually is dry snow.

Snowfall totals are reliant on the track and speed of the storm system, and models are favorable for a track that could produce more than a foot of snow in some areas east of Denver and 5 to 11 inches along the I-25 corridor.

The snow will be unusually wet for January, more like a March snow, or like the snow that fell here in late December. That's because the system is drawing up moisture from the south. That system will wrap snow around from the east back west, creating an upslope condition. The stronger and longer the upslope conditions exist, the more snow the I-25 corridor will receive.

Where and when the worst travel impacts are forecast to take place

This is the weather service's travel impact outlook:

Noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday: Little to no impacts in the Fort Collins area, Denver metro and northeast plains. Minor impacts in the foothills.

6 p.m. to midnight Tuesday: Moderate impacts in these areas.

Midnight to 6 a.m. Wednesday: Major impacts for Denver metro area and northeast plains. Moderate impacts for the Fort Collins area and the foothills.

6 a.m. to noon Wednesday: Major impacts for the Denver metro area and the northeast plains. Moderate impacts for the Fort Collins area and foothills.

Noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday: Major impacts on northeast plains, moderate for Denver metro and minor for the Fort Collins area and foothills.

For updated Colorado road conditions, visit cotrip.org/home#notifications or call 511.

These major highways are likely to be impacted by the storm

Major highways expected to be impacted, with closures possible, include Interstate 76 northeast of Denver, Interstate 70 east and west of Denver, U.S. Highway 34 from Greeley east to the Nebraska state line, Colorado Highway 14 east of Fort Collins and Interstate 80 through southern Wyoming from Cheyenne east.

I-25 impacts increase as you move south from Fort Collins through the Denver metro area to Castle Rock.

DIA forecast to see significant snow

DIA is forecast to receive 8-12 to 13 inches of snow.

It is advised you contact your airline carrier before heading to the airport, as the heavy, wet snow could lead to flight delays and cancellations into Thursday.

Updated Colorado snowfall forecast: Uptick in totals

The wide range in totals for locations is due to the variability of where heavier snow bands set up — a short distance can significantly change totals and how long upslope conditions remain for some areas.

This is the weather service's forecast is as of 1:37 p.m. Tuesday:

Fort Collins: 8-12 inches

Greeley: 8-12 inches

Estes Park: 6-8 inches

Red Feather Lakes: 8-12 inches

Boulder: 8-12 inches

Denver: 8-12 inches

DIA: 8-12 inches

Fort Morgan: 8-12 inches

Sterling: 8-12 inches

Julesburg: 12-18 inches

Holyoke: 12-18 inches

Akron: 12-18 inches

Wray: 8-12 inches

Cheyenne, Wyoming: 6-8 inches

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado storm: Snowfall totals increase; travel impacts heighten