Several inches of snow possible

You wouldn’t know it from Sunday’s weather, but the biggest snowstorm in more than a month is likely heading for the Denver area.

After a high in the 70s on Sunday, snow and significantly colder temperatures are likely for Monday and Tuesday, and several inches of snow could disrupt commutes on both Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

It appears that the precipitation will start on Monday morning, when freezing drizzle will likely greet commuters along the Front Range. Because of Sunday’s unseasonably warm temperatures, though, roads should mainly wet until the transition to snow on Monday afternoon or early evening.

“The ground will be warm initially which should help limit the threat of ice on roads, though some icing is possible if the changeover to snow is slow,” the National Weather Service office in Boulder wrote in their forecast discussion on Sunday.

After the transition from freezing drizzle to snow later in the day on Monday, snow will start in earnest on Monday evening, right around the evening commute. Travel on area roadways is likely to be much more difficult after dark on Monday.

Snow will last through the overnight Monday into Tuesday, with the heaviest snow likely during the overnight hours. By the time the sun rises on Tuesday, a few lighter snow showers will likely be left over, but most of the accumulating snow should be done by Tuesday morning’s commute. Icy and snowy patches will likely hamper the roads.

The National Weather Service’s forecast is calling for roughly 4 to 6 inches of snow in the Denver area by the time the storm ends, closely in line with the forecast from the European (ECMWF) computer forecast model.

The highest snowfall amounts will lie in the foothills just west of Denver, where a foot of snow could fall in a few favored upslope areas in western Jefferson and Boulder counties. The Palmer Divide could feature areas closer to 10 inches of snow.

Overnight lows Tuesday into Wednesday could drop below zero, perhaps leading to the area’s coldest temperatures so far this winter.