The first storm of February is targeting the Rockies this weekend. The storm system will bring plenty of snow to the Colorado Mountains and a mix of rain and snow over the eastern Plains. We have a First Weather Alert day posted Saturday and Sunday for a large, moisture-packed storm system.
The system contains a rare combination of components that come together at once. First, it turns into a closed depression that breaks off from the powerful flow of the jet stream. Second, it contains Pacific Ocean moisture and additional moisture boost from the remnants of the atmospheric moisture river that hit California earlier this week.
The third variable in the entire weekend storm scenario is that once the storm reaches east of the southern Rockies, it will pump moisture and warmth from the Gulf of Mexico back into the Frontal Range. If that's not enough, there is a fixed front that prevents the low from moving quickly away from the Rockies. This will keep the moisture tap in the Gulf active for most of Saturday.
It will pump copious amounts of moisture into eastern Colorado and hit the Front Range! This will bring heavy rain and heavy, wet snow.
Any snow that falls will be full of moisture and will be more like spring snow than winter snow. This will make it heavy and melty. Denver has a winter weather advisory Saturday through Sunday morning. The metro area could see between 3 to 7 inches of heavy, wet snow. The advisory extends to the Deer Trail and Limon as well. The western hills have the potential for 6-15 inches of snow in places like Evergreen, Conifer and Bailey. The southern metro area of Douglas County could see 6 to 12 inches of snow in particular, from Castle Rock and Parker all the way to Monument Hill.
Saturday morning snow reports from ski areas reached 4 to 9 inches in many areas with more on the way. Telluride in the San Juan Mountains picked up more than a foot of snow as of early Saturday.
There are a variety of winter storm advisories and advisories for heavy mountain snow this weekend. The storm will definitely impact ski traffic this weekend.
As additional snow falls, avalanche danger increases again in many backcountry and off-country ski areas. An avalanche warning is in place for the west side of the northern and central mountains. The Front Range Mountains will be included in the warning after 5pm on Saturday.
