More Hazardous Weather In Denver: Snow, Critical Fire Conditions

DENVER, CO — After a week of warm weather, a hazardous weather outlook was issued Friday for the Denver metro area, as forecasters predict snow and critical fire weather conditions.

The National Weather Service warned of critical fire weather conditions Friday afternoon around the Palmer Divide and plains to the east and south due to low humidity and breezy winds. A red flag warning was in effect for the area from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m., and conditions were expected to improve Friday evening.

However, more snow is expected to fall around the state.

Light snowfall was expected to begin in the high country Friday afternoon and increase in coverage and intensity into Friday evening.

The snow is expected to impact travel, and the weather service issued a winter weather advisory for the Front Range and Park and Gore Ranges from 5 p.m. Friday afternoon through 5 a.m. Monday.

At lower elevations, rain will turn into sleet Friday evening and overnight. Isolated thunder was also possible, primarily late Friday afternoon and early Friday evening.

Over the weekend, the mountains are expected to see periods of snowfall through Monday, with totals of 10 to 20 inches in the higher mountains. The most significant snowfall will likely come Saturday morning and during the day Sunday, the weather service said.

The foothills was expected to see 4 inches to a foot of snow, with the heaviest amounts falling in Boulder and Larimer
counties. The mountain valleys are expected to see 2 to 6 inches of snow over the weekend.

The plains, meanwhile, were expected to see two main periods of snow.

One was expected to fall Saturday morning from the I-25 corridor north of Denver across the northeast plains during the day. The other was expected to be widespread snow Sunday. Most of that snow was expected to be light, though heavy snow could fall in areas north and northeast of Denver Saturday morning.

Late next week, forecasters said a bitter cold will return to Colorado as an arctic air mass arrives and plunges temperatures back to near or below zero.

Once again, snow is likely, especially Thursday.

The hazardous weather outlook applies to:

• Jackson County below 9,000 feet
• West Jackson and West Grand counties above 9,000 feet
• Grand and Summit counties below 9,000 feet
• South and East Jackson/Larimer/North and Northeast Grand/Northwest Boulder counties above 9,000 feet
• South and Southeast Grand/West Central and Southwest Boulder/Gilpin/Clear Creek/Summit/North and West Park counties above 9,000 feet
• Larimer and Boulder counties between 6,000 and 9,000 feet
• Jefferson and West Douglas counties above 6,000 feet
• Gilpin/Clear Creek/Northeast Park counties below 9,000 feet
• Central and Southeast Park County
• Larimer County below 6,000 feet/Northwest Weld County
• Boulder and Jefferson counties below 6,000 feet
• West Broomfield County
• North Douglas county below 6,000 feet
• Denver/West Adams and Arapahoe counties
• East Broomfield county
• Elbert/Central and East Douglas counties above 6,000 feet
• Northeast Weld County
• Central and South Weld County
• Morgan County
• Central and East Adams and Arapahoe counties
• North and Northeast Elbert County below 6,000 Feet/North Lincoln County
• Southeast Elbert County below 6,000 feet
• South Lincoln County
• Logan County
• Washington County
• Sedgwick County
• Phillips County