Late-season snowstorm to bury Colorado Rockies, coat Denver
Winter storm warnings were in effect on Tuesday across parts of Colorado, but AccuWeather forecasters said Denver was likely to avoid the worst of the storm.
A tornado-warned storm dropped intense hail and spun up at least one landspout in northern Colorado on April 25.
A strengthening late-season snowstorm is expected to move east through the Colorado Rockies and areas south of Denver through early Wednesday, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories were issued for a large portion of Colorado and a stretch of southeastern Wyoming. Along with the warnings, other severe threats were evident in the area on Tuesday, as a confirmed tornado touched down along Interstate 76 about 15 miles northeast of Denver International Airport.
How much snow will fall in Denver and surrounding areas?
"A slushy coating in some spots in downtown Denver and the immediate suburbs is possible while the nearby foothills west and south of the city will have 1 to 3 inches, with 6 to 12 inches in the Palmer Divide," Accuweather Senior Meteorologist Brian Wimer explained.
Areas south of the Palmer Divide, such as Colorado Springs, are expected to pick up 1 to 3 inches of snow. Pueblo, Colorado, may also only receive a slushy coating of snow in spots. A slushy mix of rain and hail were reported on the roads outside of Pueblo on Tuesday afternoon.
A foot or more of snow will accumulate over the highest elevations in Colorado, giving ski resorts that are still operating another late-season boost.
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When will the snow start and stop?
After starting as rain during Tuesday evening, a few periods of wet snow could come down in Denver into Wednesday morning, when it will begin to subside.
"The most likely time for any accumulation will be before sunrise when precipitation can change to all snow at times," Wimer explained.
Motorists who travel along interstates 25 and 70 can expect slow and slippery travel conditions, especially by late Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
How much snow has Denver received this season?
From October 2022 through April 26, Denver received about 49 inches of snow, which is right around normal for that time frame. During the month of April, Denver has picked up just over 2 inches of snowfall, which is 2 inches below normal for the month so far.
Is spring snow common in the region?
In short, yes, it is not unusual for snow to fall in April and into the middle of May in the Denver area and in the Colorado Rockies.
Batches of cold air try to dip down from Canada into the United States throughout the spring season, and rain and snow are possible into late spring in this region if a storm gets picked up by the jet stream.
There is the possibility of another round of rain and snow this coming Thursday night into Friday morning in the Denver area, forecasters say.
How much snow will fall in the higher elevations of the Rockies?
About 1 to 2 feet of snow will pile up in the Colorado mountains through Wednesday morning with localized amounts of 3 feet in the highest elevations.
"The heaviest snowfall will occur Tuesday night when snowfall rates may exceed 1 to 3 inches per hour, making traveling difficult and dangerous in the region," Wimer said.
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