How much snow and rain is coming to Colorado? Latest snowfall, rain totals, travel impacts

Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·3 min read

There are a few changes in the forecast as the slow-moving spring storm moves into Colorado on Tuesday and continues into Wednesday.

The storm track has shifted south, which increases the snow and rain totals of Denver south and decreases those predictions north and east of Denver. That is reflected in the snowfall and rainfall totals below from Monday's forecast.

Here are forecast updates as of Tuesday morning, including a winter storm warning, travel impacts and updated snowfall and rainfall forecasts for Fort Collins and other areas of the state, according to the National Weather Service.

Latest radar loop gives a better picture of where and when heaviest rain will fall

Just before noon Tuesday, the weather service in Boulder sent on its Twitter account a radar loop from Tuesday morning through early Wednesday morning. Here's what it shows:

  • Fort Collins area is expected to see heaviest showers roughly 4-7 p.m. Tuesday with another lighter, more scattered push later in the evening.

  • During those same hours, the Denver metro area is looking at heavier showers with lighter showers persisting over a larger area into the evening and night time.

Winter storm warning for northern mountains and foothills

  • Noon Tuesday until noon Wednesday

  • Front Range mountains, including areas just west of Fort Collins, including Rocky Mountain National Park and Cameron Peak, extending south of Colorado Springs.

  • Snowfall totals of 1 to 2 feet expected above 8,000 feet with locally higher amounts.

  • Snowfall rates of about 2 inches per hour possible.

  • Travel on mountain and foothills highways is to be avoided if possible, including on Interstate 70 west of Denver.

  • Not expecting flooding/debris flows in any bur scars.

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Here are the latest snowfall forecast probabilities as of Tuesday morning

Fort Collins and surrounding area:

  • Bear Lake (RMNP): 16 inches

  • Alpine Visitor Center (RMNP): 16 inches

  • Cameron Pass: 12 inches

  • Red Feather Lakes: 9 inches

  • Buckhorn Mountain: 6 inches

  • Estes Park: 4 inches

  • Virginia Dale: 2 inches

  • Fort Collins: 0 inches

  • Greeley: 0 inches

Statewide:

  • Echo Lake: 25 inches

  • Monarch Pass: 23 inches

  • Berthoud Pass: 21 inches

  • Eldora: 19 inches

  • Loveland Pass: 17 inches

  • Eisenhower Tunnel: 16 inches

  • Georgetown: 16 inches

  • Winter Park: 13 inches

  • Idaho Springs: 10 inches

  • Vail Pass: 9 inches

  • Breckenridge: 6 inches

  • Colorado Springs: 2 inches

  • DIA: Less than 1 inch

  • Denver: Less than 1 inch

  • Boulder: Less than 1 inch

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Here is a look at the precipitation prediction from snow and rain as of Tuesday morning

Fort Collins and surrounding area:

  • Red Feather Lakes: 1.08 inches

  • Estes Park: 0.85 inches

  • Fort Collins: 0.81 inches

  • Greeley: 0.74 inches

  • Cheyenne, Wyo.: 0.73 inches

Statewide:

  • Colorado Springs: 2.03 inches

  • Castle Rock: 1.9 inches

  • Evergreen: 1.74 inches

  • Boulder: 1.23 inches

  • Denver: 1.01 inches

  • DIA: 0.77 inches

  • Fort Morgan: 0.62 inches

  • Sterling: 0.39 inches

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado spring storm: Updates on snowfall, rainfall totals