Big winter storm predicted for this weekend
National Weather Service
Do not let the balmy days of the mid-week fool you. In the infamous words of drag queen Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova: “We’re having weather.”
The National Weather Service predicts a winter storm through high elevation western Colorado and eastern Utah will drop up to 3 feet of snow in Western Slope region, though most areas will likely see 1-2 feet.
Snowfall is expected to start Friday morning and continue through Sunday, with the heaviest snowfall from Friday afternoon to midday Saturday.
According to OpenSnow, in the next five days Aspen Highlands is projected to get 21 inches of fresh snow, Aspen Mountain is projected to get 18, Buttermilk is projected to get 12 inches, and Snowmass is projected to get 19.
The highest elevation areas could get wind gusts as high as 45 to 60 mph.
Visibility will be limited, and travel could be nearly impossible on some roadways. The Colorado Department of Transportation cautioned travelers to prepare for “treacherous” winter driving conditions in a news release.
“Motorists need to be prepared with more than just their outdoor gear when traveling during winter weather conditions,” said John Lorme, CDOT’s director of maintenance and operations. “Pack your vehicle with extra food, water, warm clothes, blankets, and necessities like medications. Safety closures may happen at any time during severe weather, and if you are held up on the highway, you want to be prepared.”
Motorists can check conditions at the CDOT site cotrip.org.
