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AccuWeather
Denver could have one of the biggest snowstorms since 1885
AccuWeather forecasters on Wednesday continued to track the potential for a monster snowstorm that would batter the Denver area in the coming days and could become one of the biggest snowstorms in Mile High City history. . The impending storm threatens to be a long-lasting event that could bring total snowfall of up to 2 feet in Denver and build up to 3 feet in places west of Denver, such as Boulder and Fort Collins. Heavy snowfall will also extend north into Wyoming. The winter explosion could be all the more shocking as it closely follows spring weather conditions in places like Denver, where temperatures have averaged nearly 20 degrees above normal, hovering at or just below 70 degrees every day from Sunday to Tuesday. The storm, which AccuWeather meteorologists have been monitoring development for last week, was dumping beneficial rains and heavy mountain snowfall across California and Nevada on Wednesday, but it will strengthen further as it pushes inland since. the Pacific coast and crossing the interior of the West. . In doing so, it also draws moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, which will increase precipitation. “Denver will be in the worst place for the storm in terms of heavy snowfall and gusty winds,” said Bernie Rayno, chief meteorologist for AccuWeather. Snowfall will intensify in the central and southern Rockies – and Colorado and southeastern Wyoming in particular – from Saturday night through Sunday. Snowfall will be as high as 1 to 3 inches per hour and as the storm continues, strong winds will blow as well. The blizzard criteria – three consecutive hours of sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph and visibility of a quarter of a mile or less in snow or blowing snow – will be addressed in the area, according to Rayno. Gusts could reach up to 30 mph when the snowstorm first begins on Saturday, then increase to 40 mph on Saturday night and up to 50 mph on Sunday. The effects of weather on travel are almost certain. Roads such as “I-25 and I-80 may be closed from the end of Saturday to Sunday,” Rayno said. More than a foot of snow will fall over a compact area, including northeastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming, and southwestern Nebraska. Denver is expected to pick up 1-2 feet of snow from the storm. “We’ll have a chance to eclipse the seasonal total in one storm,” said Rayno. Denver has received 34.1 inches for the season so far. “The storm has the potential to rank among the largest on record in Denver.” The record for the biggest snowstorm in Mile High City is since 1913, when a December 1-5 storm dumped 45.7 inches of snow. Arriving at number two, a storm on March 17-19, 2003 brought down 31.8 inches of snow. And the ranking just below is a snowstorm from November 2-4, 1946 that buried Denver below 30.4 inches. On December 24, 1982, the storm arrived at number 4 with a total of 23.8 inches, and the oldest storm on the top five list was a snowstorm of April 23, 1885 which resulted in 23.0 inches. “The rate of wet, sticky snow can be excessive, creating white sails and causing trees and power lines to fall,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson. Blowing snow and blowing snow are expected in large open areas and on ridges and through passes. Several feet of snow can pile up in the foothills west of Denver and in southeastern Wyoming where a 60-inch AccuWeather Local StormMax ™ is being thrown. A snowstorm in March is not unusual in Denver. In fact, the city typically has late-pound winters with snowfall during the fall and then again late in the winter due to typical weather conditions. The average February snowfall in Denver is 5.8 inches, compared to nearly double the amount, or 10.7 inches, for March. Forecasters warn unnecessary travel should be avoided from Saturday afternoon through Sunday. This will ensure the safety of people and allow road crews to work without the highways being blocked by blocked vehicles. Because of the risk of power outages from the storm, people should locate flashlights and batteries and make sure generators are in working order and powered up before the storm hits. This is also a good time to review generator operating procedures, such as avoiding indoor use, including in a garage or basement. Snow from the weekend storm will follow a rapid midweek storm that dumped a few inches to a foot or more of snow in parts of Wyoming, the Nebraska Panhandle and southwestern South Dakota. The snow combination from the two storms could leave Cheyenne, Wyoming, buried in snow. The pair of storms can end up bringing more than half of an entire snow season to the city, where an average of 60 inches of snow falls per year. The projected track of the storm from the Four Corners region of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico to the High Plains is expected to allow heavy snowfall just north of the track. “Typically, storms that hit Denver with heavy snowfall tend to bring much less snow to Colorado Springs, Colo., And little to no snow to Pueblo, Colo.,” Anderson said. Any movement of this track may cause the heaviest snow to move south or north. As a result, residents of southern Colorado and western Kansas, as well as northern Wyoming and western South Dakota, should watch the progress of the storm. In parts of northwestern Kansas, central and northeastern Nebraska, and southern South Dakota, temperatures to a few degrees freezing can allow rain or a winter mix to occur at its worst. from the storm. If this mixing is limited or if the temperature drops slightly, very heavy snow can also fall in these areas. The impending monster storm has been under the watchful eye of AccuWeather since the start of last week and is in fact a big plunge south into the jet stream which is expected to become a closed low pressure area. This closed depression is essentially a storm located high in the atmosphere. Because storms of this nature are deeply involved in the jet stream, they often cause extreme weather conditions in the lower atmosphere. Much like the big storm of 2003, this storm could be of great benefit in increasing snow levels in the mountains and rain in lower elevations, as ground conditions range from abnormally dry to exceptionally dry in the region. Colorado and much of the West, according to the latest United States Drought Monitor report. CLICK HERE FOR FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Other impacts of the storm include gusty winds hundreds of kilometers from the snow area which can dramatically increase the danger of forest fires over parts of the plains and south- west until this weekend. Red flag warnings were in effect from New Mexico and west Texas to southwest Iowa on Wednesday. There is also a risk of severe thunderstorms in parts of the south-central states, particularly from Saturday to Sunday. Check back regularly to AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios.
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