Tonight's Forecast:
The isolated showers, thunderstorms and mountain snowfall that we've seen this afternoon should generally wrap up around sunset tonight. Where it could stay active through the overnight hours would be around the Continental Divide as snow is expected to increase in coverage by Tuesday morning.
Temperature wise...we're looking at a relatively mild night ahead of tomorrow's storm, with lows only cooling down to the 30s and 40s across much of Southern Colorado.
Colorado Springs forecast: Low: 37; High: 53; Tuesday will start out mellow, but won't end that way as a major spring storm slams into the state. Heavy rain will develop by the afternoon before changing to snow late Tuesday night. Accumulations will be tricky in the Pikes Peak Region as cold air doesn't seem to be overly abundant in our area, especially for areas below 6,500 feet. Therefore snow totals from Tuesday to Wednesday look to range between a trace and 7", with the highest amounts on the north and west sides of town.
Pueblo forecast: Low: 38; High: 57; Rain should hold off most of the day in Pueblo, with the main shield of precipitation not likely to arrive until mid to late afternoon. Due to our lower elevation, any snow that falls in town late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning isn't likely to stick. Instead, the bigger story will be the heavy rain in our forecast from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Flooding will be possible in low lying areas.
Canon City forecast: Low: 39; High: 59; Dry skies early will give way to increasing rain showers by the afternoon, and a mix of heavy rain and snow by Tuesday night. The worst of the storm can be expected from 6 pm Tuesday into 6 am Wednesday, with the potential for some light snow accumulations (1-4") on top of heavy rain for the Canon City area.
Woodland Park forecast: Low: 28; High: 44; Cooler air and heavy precipitation will make headlines as a powerful spring storm plows into Colorado on Tuesday. A possible mixture of rain and snow at the onset of the storm will give way to all snow by Tuesday evening, with heavy snow expected through Wednesday morning. With the potential for as much as 12-20" of snow from this storm, a Winter Storm Warning will be in effect for Teller County from Tuesday morning to noon Wednesday.
Tri-Lakes forecast: Low: 30s; High: 40s/50s; Showers and thunderstorms will develop by the afternoon before changing over to snow pretty quickly Tuesday evening. Once the cold air settles in, we're looking at the potential for a long-duration period of heavy, wet snowfall. Expect travel delays Tuesday night to midday Wednesday, as well as the potential for tree damage and power outages. Snow totals from 7-14".
Plains forecast: Low: 30s/40s; High: 50s/60s; A quiet start to our Tuesday will give way to some potential fireworks by the afternoon all from an approaching storm. With some marginal instability in the forecast and plenty of moisture, a few thunderstorms could turn severe, with heavy rain, frequent lightning and strong wind gusts the main concerns. While snow could mix in with the rain overnight Tuesday, widespread accumulations are not expected.
Walsenburg and Trinidad forecast: Low: 30s; High: 50s/60s; A major storm that's likely to be the biggest soaker of the year will bring heavy rain to the southern I-25 corridor by late Tuesday afternoon. As cold air arrives Tuesday night, a changeover to heavy, wet snow can be expected. Snow totals of a trace to 3" will be possible in Trinidad, with 1-5" for Walsenburg.
Mountains forecast: Low: 20s; High: 30s/40s; Snow will develop across the mountains during the day on Tuesday, with the heaviest snowfall expected from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning. Winter Storm Warnings will remain in effect for the Sangres and the Wet Mountains, with as much as 1 to 2 feet of snow for the these areas. Travel across high mountain passes is not recommended during this time.
Extended outlook forecast:
Heavy precipitation will continue across the region Wednesday morning before the storm slowly winds down from north to south by Wednesday afternoon. We'll be cold Wednesday night ahead of a much nicer day on Thursday, with near seasonal temperatures returning to Southern Colorado.
A quick moving cold front will bring some additional rain and snow showers to our forecast for the first part of the day on Friday. Dry skies will return by the weekend, with highs climbing into the 60s and 70s.
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Curious about the First Alert 5 Weather Storm Impact Scale? Check out our cheatsheet explainer.
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