Updated, 12/6/09, 10:40am – The Winter Weather Advisory has been canceled. Light snow will continue to fall through the afternoon but it is just too cold and dry to generate a bunch of snow.
Updated, 12/6/09, 10:30am – It is COLD out there! Temperatures in Thornton right now are around 14 degrees but with the breeze wind chills are approaching zero.
The snow arrived in the Mile High City in the early morning hours and has been falling since then in varying degrees of intensity. Most roads around Denver are snowpacked and likely are pretty slick under the snow given the cold temperatures. The City of Thornton is on accident alert so if you must drive, please be careful.
Generally, we are looking at 3 to 5 inches of snow for today with flurries continuing throughout the day and into tonight. Areas close to the foothills and in the mountains will see more in the range of 6 to 8 inches. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 8:00pm tonight.
As we discussed in our morning forecast, it is simply too cold and dry to generate a great deal of snow. The real story with the system is the bitter cold. Most stations on the Rocky Mountain Weather Network are reporting temperatures in the teens with wind chills near zero making it pretty miserable to be outside no matter where along the Front Range you are.
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Updated, 12/6/09, 6:05am – While being a bit slower to generate than originally thought, the snow has begun to fall along the Front Range and will continue for much of the day, particularly this morning. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued and will remain in effect until 8:00pm this evening.
The Denver metro area can expect 3 to 5 inches of snow accumulation from the system, most of which will be light and fluffy thanks to a lack of moisture and the cold temperatures. Here in Thornton we will probably be at the lighter end of that range. We may see some periods of heavy snow before it begins to taper off this afternoon. A weak upslope will limit the highest accumulations to areas along the foothills and in the mountains.
With the cold temperatures, snow will accumulate and stick to the roadways leading them to become icy and snowpacked. If you go driving today, please use caution.
Heading into tonight, the amount of cloud cover we get will determine just how cold it gets but either way, we aren’t talking about huge differences. Look for low temperatures tonight to dip into the single digits with some lingering snow flurries.
The workweek ahead is going to continue to be cold with below normal temperatures. A large trough has dug in across the central United States and is pulling in plenty of cold air from the north of us. High temperatures will remain below the freezing mark until Thursday and it may be Saturday before we see temperatures approach normal.
At least a chance of snow remains in the forecast for the next couple of days. Monday night and into Tuesday look to be the best time period for us to have accumulating snowfall but again, moisture is limited and it will be very cold. We’ll get a better handle on how much snow that timeframe will bring later today and tomorrow morning so stay tuned.
Original story, 12/5/09, 11:08am – In this morning’s forecast on the Denver Weather Examiner we discussed extensively about the bitter cold and snow that was going to be arriving in Colorado tonight. This will be a lengthy affair in which well below normal temperatures linger for the next five days or so.
Highlighting the potential for hazardous weather, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory. The advisory goes into effect at 8:00pm tonight, runs through 8:00pm Sunday and covers most of the Front Range from Monument north to the Wyoming border.
Winds will start to develop this evening with the approach of the system and the thermometer will plunge and winds will begin to pick up. Snow will start in the mountains and foothills early this evening and by late evening will begin over the Front Range urban corridor. Overnight tonight and through Sunday morning the snow will intensify and then gradually ease throughout the day tomorrow.
How much snow are we talking about? Overall the Front Range will see between 4 and 8 inches of the white stuff by the time the snow stops Sunday evening. As usual, areas near the foothills can expect higher amounts.
This is however but the first wave of two that will be hitting Colorado in the coming days. Be sure to check out our Denver Weather Examiner morning forecast for more details on a potentially bigger storm coming on Tuesday.
Remember, a Winter Weather Advisory means that snow, blowing snow or freezing drizzle will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities. Caution should be excercised when driving.
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