Weekend snowstorm may dump 10 inches in Denver

Awinter stormwatch has been issued for the Colorado high country beginning Friday night, with projections of 1 to 2 feet of snow falling byMonday night.

The forecast for Denver calls for snow accumulations of 5 to 10 inches, said Kari Bowen, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Boulder.

The storm track has been difficult to predict, with indicators pointing alternatively to a northern, central and southern entry into Colorado, Bowen said.

Currently, it is trending for a southerly track into the state, with Pueblo likely to getmore snowthan Denver, she said.

Snowflurries should start falling in the mountains by Friday night.

Denverwill remain sunny and warm, with high temperatures reaching the lower 60s Saturday morning before clouds move over the metro area Saturday afternoon, Bowen said.

It could begin raining first in theDenver area late Saturday afternoon because of higher temperatures. Snow could start falling along the Front Range on Saturday evening or Sunday morning.

The storm will increase in intensity steadily, with high winds reaching 65mph in the mountains.

Denver Public Works is ready to deploy its large plowswhen snowbegins to accumulate on Denver’s main streets, or most streets with stripes, and will apply de- icing materials as needed, the department said Friday in a news release.

Frontier Airlines on Friday said customers who travel through Denver, as well as Omaha and Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday through Tuesday can make itinerary changes because of the adverseweather forecast.

Frontier customers who purchased tickets on or before Friday may make one itinerary change; rules and restrictions regarding standard change fees, advance purchase, day or time applications, blackouts and minimum or maximum stay requirements will be waived, the airline said in a news release.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said Friday that newsnowfall on weak snowpack in the mountains will increase the risk of avalanche danger.