Heeney, CO Special Weather Statement

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK

Issued:

1113 AM MDT THU MAR 18 2010

Expires:

600 AM MDT FRI MAR 19 2010

...VARIOUS WINTER WEATHER WARNINGS AND WATCHES FOR LATER TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN COLORADO... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM IS MOVING TOWARDS COLORADO FROM THE NORTHWEST AND WILL BRING A BIG CHANGE TO THE WEATHER BY TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN WYOMING AND WILL PUSH INTO NORTHEASTERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL BEGIN NEAR THE WYOMING BORDER IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS BEFORE SUNSET AND THEN GRADUALLY WORK SOUTHWARD ALONG THE FOOTHILLS THIS EVENING. AT LOWER ELEVATIONS SHOWERS OF RAIN OR SNOW WILL BEGIN EARLY THIS EVENING IN LARIMER COUNTY AND WORK SOUTHWARD DURING THE EVENING...WITH PRECIPITATION BECOMING ALL SNOW BY 10 PM IN MOST AREAS. SNOWFALL WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT ESPECIALLY IN AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS BUT ALSO THROUGH THE URBAN CORRIDOR AFTER 2 AM. IT LOOKS LIKE THE RUSH HOUR ON FRIDAY WILL BE A TOUGH ONE WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE AND AS MUCH AS 4 TO 8 INCHES ALREADY IN THE FOOTHILLS FROM BOULDER COUNTY NORTH TO THE WYOMING BORDER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HEAVY SNOW WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS... AND I-25 URBAN CORRIDOR FRIDAY MORNING. PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW WILL THEN CONTINUE OVER THE FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS...WHILE A SLIGHT DECREASE SHOULD OCCUR ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE METRO AREAS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY DECREASE ACROSS ALL OF NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FROM THIS STORM ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 10 TO 18 INCHES IN THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS...WITH LOCALLY UP TO 2 FEET POSSIBLE. ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE URBAN CORRIDOR INCLUDING FORT COLLINS...BOULDER...AND DENVER...TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES CAN BE ANTICIPATED. OVER THE NORTHEAST PLAINS OF COLORADO...MOST SNOW AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN 3 AND 8 INCHES...WITH THE LIGHTEST AMOUNTS OVER THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE. A BLAST OF MUCH COLDER AIR WILL DROP TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE MID AND UPPER 20S ON FRIDAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT AND A STRENGTHENING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING THE HEAVY SNOWFALL. PERSONS PLANNING TRAVEL OR ANY OTHER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HARSH WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SLOW TRAVEL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.