Late-season snowstorm expected to bring feet of snow to the Rocky Mountains

A acold beforehand sweeping done parts of the U.S. is not lone expected to bring rounds of dense rainfall and severe weather, but it volition besides present a important late-season snowstorm to the Rocky Mountains.

PACIFIC SYSTEM TO SWEEP WEST, BRINGING HEAVY SNOW, SOAKING RAIN AND STRONG WINDS TO CALIFORNIA, ROCKIES

The strategy is forecast to determination into the portion precocious Tuesday and proceed done Wednesday, producing the astir impactful snowfall astatine higher elevations successful Colorado and Wyoming.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, arsenic the strategy develops to the south, winds are expected to displacement from the northbound and northeast, forcing moist aerial up the terrain. 

This volition chill the aerial rapidly, allowing dense snowfall to accumulate adjacent erstwhile temperatures hover adjacent freezing.

WHAT IS A WINTER STORM WARNING?

Heavy snowfall falls astatine the Loveland Ski Area successful Colorado. 

(Dustin Schaefer, Loveland Ski Area)

A upwind whiplash is up for Denver with temperatures successful the 70s Monday earlier snowfall breaks retired Tuesday night. Feet of snowfall could autumn astatine higher elevations of the Rockies, with snowfall peaking Wednesday. 

The dense snowfall volition make hard driving conditions and Winter Storm Watches and Warnings person been posted for the Interstate 25 corridor from Denver to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

WINTER WEATHER ALERTS ISSUED FOR PARTS OF ROCKIES, NORTHERN PLAINS AS LATE-WEEK SNOW, SHARP COOLDOWN GRIP AREA

Heavy snowfall is expected crossed the cardinal Rockies arsenic colder aerial filters successful down the front. Some of the highest peaks and passes could spot betwixt 1 and 2 feet of heavy, bedewed snow.

Colorado is expected to spot wide totals of 8 to 12 inches crossed the bluish and cardinal mountains, including fashionable areas specified arsenic Breckenridge and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Wind gusts up to 45 mph combined with falling snowfall volition nutrient whiteout conditions, making question implicit upland passes dangerous.

Heavy snowfall covers the crushed successful Vail, Colorado.

(Colorado Highway Patrol / FOX Weather)

In Denver, rainfall volition statesman Monday earlier transitioning to a rain-and-snow premix by Tuesday arsenic temperatures conflict to scope the debased 40s, with 5 to 8 inches expected done Wednesday.

However, if the upwind absorption shifts, the acold rainfall could crook into a much important snowfall event. 

Areas supra 6,000 feet could spot respective inches of slushy snowfall accumulation.

The Colorado Department of Transportation works around-the-clock clearing roads of snow.

(Colorado Department of Transportation/Twitter / FOX Weather)

By Thursday, the tempest volition determination retired of the Rockies, leaving down colder and much wintry conditions.

While the snowfall volition supply a boost to the determination snowfall pack, forecasters accidental it volition not beryllium capable to erase the effects of a historical snowfall drought this past winter.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Denver typically sees astir 1.4 inches of snowfall successful May, a crisp diminution from the April mean of 6.2 inches.