Colorado Could See Up to 5 Feet of Snow This Week

A website says Colorado should be prepared for up to five feet of snow over the next few days.

That's right, the next few days. We're not talking about five feet of snow for the rest of the year or even through the end of the season. This site says Colorado should prepare for up to five feet of snow to fall before week's end.

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Says who?

Here's a quote from Joel Gratz, Founding Meteorologist at OpenSnow.com:

Monday and Tuesday will feel like spring with warm and mostly dry conditions. Then from Wednesday to Sunday, we will flip back to winter with snow each day. Five-day snow totals should be 5-15 inches west of the divide and 15-60 inches east of the divide (that's not a typo). The best chance for the most snow will be east of the divide from Friday through Sunday…this could be fun! - Joel Gratz

 

Fun my rear end. Even winter sports enthusiasts find little in the way of fun when it comes to five feet of snow being dumped on the state in a period of days.

What exactly is OpenSnow?

At a glance, Opensnow.com seems to be geared to skiing enthusiasts. Their slug reads, "Catch every powder day with handcrafted snow forecasts & comprehensive snow data." Their weather features are geared specifically to ski resorts, not the surrounding communities.

How will this storm unfold?

According to OpenSnow.com, storms will be coming in two waves. First, starting Tuesday night, March 9, and running through Thursday, March 11, a storm over the west coast will push periods of snow across the Colorado mountains.  According to Gratz, Colorado can expect a few inches of snow during the first wave.

That doesn't sound so bad. What about the 2nd wave?

According to Gratz, the second storm looks like the "real deal." He states that for most mountains, this storm will be no biggie. For mountains east of the divide, though, Gratz suggests the storm could drop anywhere from two to five feet of snow.

What about the Grand Junction area?

According to the National Weather Service, Grand Junction can expect a 20% chance of rain and snow Tuesday evening, with a slight chance of showers on Wednesday. Wednesday evening will bring a 30% chance of rain and snow. Thursday brings a chance of rain and snow, with showers expected on Friday. By the weekend Grand Junction should be back to sunny skies.