Snow! Snow! ...Snow?

The National Weather Service has issued a *winter storm watch* for most of the mountains and the urban corridor from late Tuesday night through Wednesday night. At this point the forecast is calling for 6 - 12 inches of snow during this period, with "areas of blowing snow and reduced visibilities" (nws). A winter storm watch means that there is the potential for a decent storm - but with plenty that still needs to come into place - not a certainty. The blue shaded areas on the left image show the areas under the winter storm watch, the image on the right is the current radar (weather.com) with the approaching storm in the northwest. (click to enlarge)




Keep in mind there are still many details to be worked out in the next 24 hours as this storm starts to take shape. In the latest forecast discussion by the NWS they discussed a number of concerns that may limit the amount of snow fall we actually see. Those include the uncertainty surrounding the duration of the storm (some models suggest it will move faster than others), the potential for dry slots and downsloping wind (hindering upslope favorable for Denver, and keeping heaviest snow accumulation west and east of Denver). That said, they seem to think 6 - 12 inches is a good compromise as some models are suggesting upwards of 18 inches, and other predicting less.

This blog will be following the any developments very closely over the next 12 - 24 hours! Stay tuned!