Another wave of snow is crossing Colorado and the western parts of the state will bear the brunt of it.
Megan Stackhouse, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, says she expects one to two feet of snow in the San Juan Mountains on Friday. The lower valleys will see three to six inches. As the system continues to spread into more northern and central mountain areas on Saturday, people who live there should expect about four to six inches.
“If [you] have to travel, definitely check road conditions before heading out,” Stakehouse said. “But as always when it comes to snow, if you really don’t have to travel, it’s probably best if you don’t.”
There are no avalanche warnings at this time but avalanche forecaster Mike Cooperstein said people heading into the backcountry should be extra careful especially around the San Juans.
“We’re under considerable danger which is a level 3 out of 5 danger,” Cooperstein said. A warning is only put in place if the danger reaches one of the two highest levels. Still, “that basically means that natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered avalanches are likely.”
Backcountry skiers, hikers, snowmobilers and climbers can set off avalanches. Cooperstein urged people to always check for warnings before heading into the backcountry.
The Denver metro area can expect to get only two to four inches of snow on Saturday but temperatures will remain low and wind speeds could reach 20 to 25 miles per hour. Temperatures will only reach the mid to the upper 20s but will feel like it’s in the low teens because of the wind. The northeast plains will have wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour.
The Colorado Department of Transportation urged travelers to use caution on the road by taking it slow, leaving space behind the car ahead, and not passing plows. CDOT also wants people to have emergency kits which would include chains, water, sand or cat litter, flares, jumper cables, and blankets.
The storm should die down by Saturday night.
