Updated Christmas travel forecast: Timing of Colorado storm, snow totals and travel impacts

Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·3 min read
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As of Saturday morning, the National Weather Service admits there remains uncertainty regarding the incoming storm and travel impacts, snowfall timing and totals. Here's a look at that as well as the Fort Collins forecast surrounding Christmas Day.

Here is the latest on what the weather service knows, doesn't know regarding the approaching storm in Colorado

Updated at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service:

  • High confidence: Snow will fall in the mountains Saturday, rain changing to snow on the Eastern Plains Saturday night.

  • Medium confidence: Slick and hazardous conditions in the mountains Saturday and Sunday, then across the Eastern Plains on Saturday night and Sunday with snow and blowing snow.

  • Low confidence: Overall uncertainty. Higher confidence in snowfall totals for the mountains and foothills. Considerable uncertainty for snowfall for the I-25 corridor and Eastern Plains.

Here's the weather service's best guess on when the storm will hit Colorado ahead of Christmas

The rain/snow will move into the mountains first, with snow showers Saturday. Then the storm will include a rain/snow mix while moving onto the Interstate 25 corridor and Eastern Plains on Saturday evening into Saturday night and possibly continue into Sunday morning.

Impact to travel is uncertain but expect difficult driving conditions in the mountains and possibly the Eastern Plains.

Here's the updated best guess snowfall totals for Fort Collins, statewide

Updated as of 4:30 a.m. Saturday. The uncertainty of the storm has created wide snowfall ranges. Here are those ranges as of Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service:

Fort Collins area

  • Fort Collins: 0-2 inches with expected total of less than 1 inch. There is a 49% chance of less than 1 inch, 29% chance of less than 2 inches and 6% chance of less than 4 inches.

  • Windsor: 0-3 inches

  • Loveland: 0-2 inches

  • Wellington: 0-1 inches

  • Berthoud: 0-2 inches

  • Estes Park: 0-4 inches

  • Greeley: 0-1 inches

  • Red Feather Lakes: 1-4 inches

  • Virginia Dale: 0-3 inches

  • Cameron Pass: 4-11 inches

  • Bear Lake (RMNP): 4-9 inches

  • Buckhorn Mountain: 1-4 inches

Statewide

  • Denver: 1-4 inches

  • Denver International Airport: 1-4 inches

  • Boulder: 1-4 inches

  • Longmont: 0-2 inches

  • Winter Park: 7-12 inches

  • Breckenridge: 2-7 inches

  • Copper Mountain: 3-10 inches

  • Keystone: 4-10 inches

  • Vail Pass: 3-9 inches

  • Loveland Pass: 4-10 inches

  • Eisenhower Tunnel: 4-11 inches

  • Berthoud Pass: 6-14 inches

Updated Fort Collins weather forecast for the weekend, Christmas Day

Updated at 7 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service

  • Saturday: 40% chance of rain, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy with a high near 53 degrees. Calm wind becoming north-northeast 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon, gusting to as high as 15 mph.

  • Saturday night: 90% chance of precipitation with less than a half inch snow accumulation possible. Rain before 8 p.m., then rain and snow between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., then snow after 10 p.m. Low around 26 with north wind 11 to 18 mph, gusting to 33 mph.

  • Sunday: 40% chance of snow, mainly before 11 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. North-northwest wind 16 to 21 mph, gusting to 33 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Low around 14 degrees.

  • Monday (Christmas Day):Mostly sunny, with a high near 35 degrees. Light northwest wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the morning, gusting to as high as 17 mph. Low around 20 degrees.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Snow for Colorado ahead of Christmas: Here is the updated forecast