AccuWeather.com

By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist

Oct 24, 2011; 8:08 AM ET

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A travel-disrupting snowstorm will slam the central Rockies, impacting Denver, during the middle of this week.

Two fast-moving storms will first cross the northern tier of the nation from west to east during the first part of the week. These storms will lay down the groundwork for cold air to filter southward from Canada across the northern Plains and the Rockies.

It will even be cold enough for the first flakes of snow this season across portions of the Upper Midwest, mainly to the north of the I-94 corridor early in the week. Some cities and towns across the Dakotas, northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin will have some wet snow mix in by Tuesday.

However, the coldest air will be entrenched across the central Rockies. The harsh cold will plunge into the Rockies as a third storm, originating from the Pacific Ocean, gathers strength in the region.

"Getting cold air into the foothills, High Plains and other cities and locations on the immediate eastern side of the Rockies is not a problem," said AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. "Simply turning the winds around to the east and northeast causes them to blow thousands of feet uphill, resulting in substantial cooling."

Sosnowski points out that the track of the storm will determine how much snow falls in the Rockies and along the I-25 corridor.

"We could see several inches of snow in the Denver area later Tuesday night through Wednesday," said AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Alan Reppert. "The heaviest snows will fall in the mountains west of Denver, though. I won't be surprised to see over a foot there," he said.

"The snow plows will be out in full force around Denver," said AccuWeather.com's Brett Anderson.

However, skiers may not have an easy time getting to the ski resorts. "Anyone heading toward the Eisenhower Tunnel and the ski resorts Wednesday can expect a difficult drive," Reppert said.

Blustery winds will add to the travel hazards both on the ground and in the air by causing significant blowing of snow, according to Reppert.

The strong winds will also contribute to brutally cold AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures. Lows will plummet into the teens along the I-25 corridor on Wednesday night, challenging record lows.

Flight delays at Denver International Airport could result from the midweek storm with ripple-effect delays possible across other parts of the nation.