What to expect from another round of snow forecast for Colorado mountains, ski areas

Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·3 min read
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First it will be the wind, then the cold and finally the snow.

Another storm system, albeit a disorganized one, is heading into Colorado. It looks like the same areas where as much as 4 feet of snow fell will see the most snow, but not as much as last weekend's storm.

How disorganized?

In NWS's forecast discussion Thursday night it said this about the incoming storm: "Over the past few hours, model guidance has spit out about as many different solutions as there are items on a Cheesecake Factory menu, particularly in regards to our second wave of snow Friday evening.''

Just how much snow the Fort Collins area receives is up in the air.

Here's a look at the incoming storm, including timing, travel impacts and forecast snowfall totals.

Wind gusts up to 80 mph just the beginning of the storm

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning until 5 p.m. Thursday for the central and northern foothills and mountains, including Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park and Red Feather Lakes.

Fort Collins is just east of the warning area and will not see those high winds. Winds in the city Thursday are expected to be 11 mph to 16 mph in the morning, gusting to 25 mph with similar wind speeds into the night.

Estes Park could see gusts of 50 mph or more throughout Thursday. Longs Peak is forecast to see gusts as high as 92 mph Thursday.

Consistent west winds of 35 mph to 45 mph with gusts to 80 mph are expected at higher elevations. This will create difficult travel for high profile vehicles.

A cold front arrives early Friday morning, resulting in Fort Collins seeing a 20-degree drop in high temperatures from 62 degrees Thursday to 42 degrees Friday.

Friday looks like best chance of snow to impact travel

The National Weather Service has high confidence in snow arriving Friday for the mountains and foothills with some snow reaching the Interstate 25 corridor, mainly around Denver and south.

It has low confidence in the travel impact and snowfall totals because of mixed messages from models.

There could be a brief snow Friday morning in the Denver area but heavier snow is forecast for Friday evening into night, possibly impacting the evening commute.

Mountain travel could see impacts, including Interstate 70 as you gain elevation, Colorado Highway 14 near Cameron Pass and U.S. Highway 40.

Impacts to Denver International Airport travel should be negligible.

Snowfall forecast for Fort Collins area, other Colorado areas

Here are forecast snowfall totals Thursday through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service:

Fort Collins area

  • Fort Collins: 0-2 inches

  • Loveland: 0-2 inches

  • Wellington: 0-1 inches

  • Windsor: 0-1 inches

  • Greeley: 0-1 inches

  • Estes Park: 0-2 inches

  • Red Feather Lakes: 0-3 inches

  • Virginia Dale: 0-2 inches

  • Berthoud: 0-3 inches

  • Buckhorn Mountain: 0-3 inches

  • Cameron Pass: 3-10 inches

  • Bear Lake (Rocky Mountain National Park): 2-7 inches

Statewide

  • Denver: 1-5 inches

  • DIA: 0-4 inches

  • Boulder: 0-4 inches

  • Highlands Ranch: 1-7 inches

  • Castle Rock: 2-8 inches

  • Berthoud Pass: 3-9 inches

  • Eisenhower Tunnel: 3-7 inches

  • Winter Park: 3-7 inches

  • Rabbit Ears: 4-8 inches

  • Mount Zirkle: 7-13

  • Vail Pass: 2-7 inches

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado weather: Wind, sharp temperature drop and snow in forecast