DENVER – Colorado is in for its first real dose of snow for the season this week, with snow likely across the higher mountains on Tuesday and a chance for Denver’s first snow of the season later this week.
The Denver area will see cooler temperatures Tuesday, with highs around 60, but any precipitation is expected to be limited to rain. In the mountains west of the Continental Divide, winter weather advisories are in effect above 9,000 feet starting at midnight through 6 p.m. Tuesday.
A winter storm warning will go into effect for the eastern San Juan Mountains above 10,000 feet, where up to a foot of snow could fall and winds could gust up to 65 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
In the areas where the winter weather advisories will be in effect Tuesday, between 4 and 8 inches of snow is generally forecast, including for the La Garita Mountains, San Juans, Gore and Elk Mountains, Elkhead and Park Mountains, and the Flat Tops.
At the lower mountain elevations, some areas could pick up 1-3 inches of snow, according to the NWS.
Wednesday will be sunny along the Front Range, with highs in the low 60s and lows in the low 40s.
But colder air will move back into Colorado on Tuesday along with precipitation. The Denver area is forecast to get rain starting Thursday afternoon that as of Monday looks like could mix or turn into snow.
The National Weather Service in Boulder said in its Monday forecast discussion that the latest models are showing measurable snowfall over the western half of the plains, including the metro area.
“Both those models show snowfall and snow accumulation likely over the Urban Corridor Thursday afternoon and night. Temperatures are right around freezing overnight Thursday/Friday morning,” the NWS forecasters wrote.
Denver averages 4.1 inches of snow in October each year and has gotten October snow each of the past four years. Denver received no measurable snow (at least 0.1 inches) in October between 2014 and 2016.
The Denver7 weather team will continue to update the forecasts this week ahead of the incoming storm. Click here to watch the Denver7 live weather stream.
