Tonight's Forecast:
The first round of heavy snow for the mountains should taper off during the overnight hours, with a small break expected through at least midday Tuesday. For the Plains, some of that moisture from the high country will move across our forecast area tonight, with the potential for a stray shower or two just about anywhere within Southern Colorado. Snow levels will be quite high, generally above 7,000 feet. In Teller County, a quick burst of snow late this evening could bring up to 1" of accumulation to some areas.
Colorado Springs forecast: Low: 28; High: 59; Tuesday will be a little windier and a little warmer than what we saw today. Expect afternoon highs to top out near 60 degrees, with peak wind gusts up near 30 mph.
Pueblo forecast: Low: 30; High: 66; Mild and breezy on Tuesday, with peak wind gusts as high as 30-40 mph during the afternoon hours.
Canon City forecast: Low: 33; High: 59; Partly to mostly cloudy, mild and gusty on Tuesday. Peak afternoon wind gusts could approach or exceed 30 mph in the Canon City area.
Woodland Park forecast: Low: 23; High: 48; A pleasant mix of sun and clouds on Tuesday, but windy, with peak afternoon wind gusts up near 35 mph.
Tri-Lakes forecast: Low: 20s; High: 50s; A mild and dry, but gusty day for the Palmer Divide on Tuesday, with peak southwesterly wind gusts up near 30 mph.
Plains forecast: Low: 30s; High: 60s; Tuesday's looking like a mild and breezy first full day of spring for the Plains of Southern Colorado, with peak afternoon wind gusts up to 35 mph.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: Low: 30s; High: 50s/60s; Compared to the rest of Southern Colorado, our forecast for the southern I-25 corridor will be a lot windier than other parts of the state. Peak afternoon wind gusts here could reach up to 55 mph.
Mountains forecast: Low: 10s/20s; High: 30s/40s; Snow should continue to taper off this evening over the high country, with a break in the action expected through at least midday Tuesday. By Tuesday night, more heavy snow and strong wind will push back into the mountain zones, making for a dangerous travel day come Wednesday.
Extended outlook forecast:
A big piece of energy coming out of California will bring heavy snow to the mountains on Wednesday and a few showers to the Plains. But precipitation for the Plains won't be the big story. Instead, we're looking at the potential for a damaging wind event for pretty much our entire coverage area. High Wind Watches have been issued in advance of the approaching storm.
A powerful, potentially damaging wind event is shaping up to hit Southern Colorado this Wednesday.⁰⁰Main impacts: downed trees/power lines, power outages, difficult driving. Stay tuned for the latest! #cowx pic.twitter.com/oD1PBXOW99
— Alan Rose (@AlanRoseWX) March 20, 2023
With the potential for hurricane force winds in some areas, and lowering relative humidity, fire danger threat levels are also expected to rise during the day on Wednesday.
Along with the potential for damaging wind gusts on Wednesday, the risk of fast-moving grass fires across the eastern Plains is also expected to rise. #cowx pic.twitter.com/cqyGBaMpDI
— Alan Rose (@AlanRoseWX) March 20, 2023
During this same time, the mountains will see major impacts, with several feet of snow expected across the San Juans through Thursday morning. Up to a foot and a half of fresh snow could also fall along and near the Continental Divide.
Looking out towards the weekend...that's when we could see a return to a more unsettled pattern for the Plains, with rain and snow returning from Saturday night into Sunday.
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Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
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