DENVER (AP) —
A powerful winter storm system was expected to park over much of Colorado through Tuesday, socking parts of the Front Range and southern mountains with up to 20 inches of snow, forecasters said Sunday.
The National Weather Service placed much of Colorado under some kind of weather advisory, including blowing-snow advisories in the southwestern mountains, winter storm watches in the south-central part of the state Rockies and winter storm warnings in a wide swath from Colorado Springs north to the Wyoming state line.
Whiteout conditions were expected with the high winds associated with the storm, which was forecast to bring wintry weather to much of Colorado until it leaves the area Tuesday morning.
The state Transportation Department closed Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park early Sunday, and travel restrictions were in place over Red Mountain, Independence, Berthoud and Wolf Creek passes.
The weather service's Denver office said snow accumulations could range from 4 to 8 inches near the Wyoming state line to 6 to 12 inches in the Denver and Boulder areas. Eastern Douglas and western Elbert counties southeast of Denver could see 10 to 20 inches, forecasters said.
Up to 5 inches was forecast in Aspen and Vail, with about the same amounts expected in the western mountains. In far Western Colorado, including Grand Junction and Rangely, the storm was expected to bring only some rain or less than 1 inch of snow.
A powerful winter storm system was expected to park over much of Colorado through Tuesday, socking parts of the Front Range and southern mountains with up to 20 inches of snow, forecasters said Sunday.
The National Weather Service placed much of Colorado under some kind of weather advisory, including blowing-snow advisories in the southwestern mountains, winter storm watches in the south-central part of the state Rockies and winter storm warnings in a wide swath from Colorado Springs north to the Wyoming state line.
Whiteout conditions were expected with the high winds associated with the storm, which was forecast to bring wintry weather to much of Colorado until it leaves the area Tuesday morning.
The state Transportation Department closed Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park early Sunday, and travel restrictions were in place over Red Mountain, Independence, Berthoud and Wolf Creek passes.
The weather service's Denver office said snow accumulations could range from 4 to 8 inches near the Wyoming state line to 6 to 12 inches in the Denver and Boulder areas. Eastern Douglas and western Elbert counties southeast of Denver could see 10 to 20 inches, forecasters said.
Up to 5 inches was forecast in Aspen and Vail, with about the same amounts expected in the western mountains. In far Western Colorado, including Grand Junction and Rangely, the storm was expected to bring only some rain or less than 1 inch of snow.
