…FIRST SIGNIFICANT SNOW OF THE SEASON LIKELY FOR THE MOUNTAINS THIS WEEKEND…

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ARE ON THE WAY FOR THE MUCH OF THE WESTERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE EASTERN UINTAS AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION THIS WEEKEND. MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION WILL INCREASE TO NEAR 200% OF NORMAL FOR LATE OCTOBER. THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO PUSH ACROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION INTO SUNDAY. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS MOISTURE LINGERS ACROSS THE AREA.

THE GREATEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR SATURDAY NIGHT AND INTO MIDDAY SUNDAY. THE MOST SNOW WILL FALL AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 9000 FEET, THOUGH SNOW LEVELS MAY DROP TO ELEVATIONS AS LOW AS 6000 FEET ONCE COLDER AIR FILTERS INTO THE AREA. ON AVERAGE THE EASTERN UINTAS AND THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL SEE 5 TO 10 INCHES ABOVE 9000 FEET. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF A FOOT WILL BE POSSIBLE. ADDITIONALLY, WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH IN THE MOUNTAINS COULD LEAD TO REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW.