DENVER (CBS4) – Holiday travelers will potentially have a tough time getting through the mountains of Colorado on Sunday as a new winter storm arrives from California. In addition to heavy snow this storm will bring a lot of wind to the state. The combination of wind and snow may create white-out conditions at times, especially on higher and exposed mountain passes.
The timing for this really ramps up after sunrise and will last through the entire day. In fact we may see wind and blowing snow through the early morning hours on Monday before conditions begin to improve.
Most all of Colorado’s mountains will be under a Winter Storm Warning (pink) or a Winter Weather Advisory (purple) all day on Sunday. Many places will end up seeing anywhere between 6 and 14 inches of snow. Amounts will be lighter in valleys but travel could still be just as dangerous due to the wind.
The new snow will create additional concern for avalanches, especially in the backcountry. Most all mountain zones are under either an Avalanche Watch (brown) or an Avalanche Warning (blue) on Sunday.
For Denver, the Front Range foothills and the eastern plains it will be dry on Sunday but very windy at times. In fact parts of south-central Colorado are under a High Wind Warning for the potential to see wind gusts between 65 and 85 mph.
Because it has been so dry and warm, the wind will cause the fire danger to be high for a large part of east-central and southeast Colorado.
