DENVER — A major winter storm is lashing Colorado's mountains with a widespread 1-3 feet likely by the time the storm ends Wednesday.
A Winter Storm Warning covers most of Colorado's mountains through Wednesday night, while a Winter Weather Advisory covers the west and south sides of the Denver metro area through 5 p.m. Wednesday.
9NEWS Weather Impact Day
The 9NEWS Weather Impact Team has called for a Weather Impact Day for both Tuesday and Wednesday morning across Colorado, though our big focus is on the mountain snowstorm.
Heavy Colorado mountain snow
The mountains will have steady, heavy snow all day Tuesday, with the absolute heaviest of the snow likely falling there Tuesday night before it winds down there Wednesday morning.
If you do not have to travel to, from, or through the mountains in western Colorado on Tuesday, don't do it.
One-to-three feet of snow is likely to fall by the time the snow ends in Colorado's mountains on Wednesday afternoon.
Denver rain and snow
In Denver, we're mostly calm on Tuesday, with rain and snow moving in Tuesday night. We likely start as rain before it flips over to slushy snow somewhere around midnight, maybe a bit before.
Look for 1-4 inches of accumulation for most of the metro area, though areas east and north of town may see only a dusting, if any snowfall.
The Denver area is mostly looking at 1-4 inches of snow, though with higher 3-8 inch totals on the west and south sides of town above 6,000' in elevation.
While the snow ends Wednesday night, it'll give way to Denver's coldest morning of the season so far - just in time for Thanksgiving morning with morning temperatures in the teens with lots of ice likely as well. Denver will top out only around 37 degrees on Thanksgiving Day.
After the snow and cold, Colorado will moderate temperatures somewhat with highs in the upper 30s and low 40s through the upcoming weekend, before warmer air likely moves back in for next week.
In the meantime, stay safe from the mountain snowstorm and be careful Wednesday morning in particular in the Denver metro area.
- RADAR: Live Interactive Radar
- CLOSINGS: Latest closings and delays in Colorado
Denver Thanksgiving Week Forecast
- TUESDAY: Increasing clouds and seasonal, high around 53. Mostly cloudy overnight, with a rain/snow mix developing and flipping to snow by dawn, low 29.
- WEDNESDAY: Light snow likely throughout the day, with the steadiest in the morning. Partial clearing likely late. High 37. Turning clear overnight, low 17.
- THANKSGIVING: Mostly sunny but chilly and icy, high 37. Cold overnight, low 16.
- FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and chilly, high 43. Partly cloudy overnight, low 20.
- SATURDAY: Partly cloudy and chilly. High 39. Quiet overnight, low 19.
- SUNDAY: Partly cloudy and a bit milder. High 44. Quiet overnight, low 18.
- MONDAY: Partly cloudy and a bit warmer. High 49. Quiet overnight, low 23.
