As thunderstorms roll across the Front Range and plains this weekend, snowstorms brew in the mountains and foothills, according to the National Weather Service.
Thursday’s series of storms — both rain and frozen — is set to continue at all elevations through Sunday, forecasters said.
Residents in the Denver area Friday will see off-and-on rain showers throughout the morning before the storm picks up around 4 p.m. and peaks in intensity overnight into Saturday and through Sunday, according to NWS meteorologists.
A quarter-inch of rain fell in Denver Thursday alone, and another two to three inches are projected to fall in the city and surrounding metro area by early Sunday, forecasters said.
With the rain and thunderstorms, temperatures have cooled off in Denver, according to NWS forecasters.
The metro area will see high temperatures in the mid to high-60s Friday that drop to the low-40s overnight and stay there through Saturday, forecasters said.
Small hail and strong winds may accompany the storms across the Front Range and plains, according to a NWS hazardous weather outlook.
While one to three inches of rain is expected in Colorado’s lower elevations over the weekend, the mountains could see one to three feet of snow, the hazardous weather outlook stated. Up to 18 inches are possible in the foothills above 7,000 feet of elevation.
Areas such as Georgetown and Winter Park are projected to see up to 23 inches of snowfall, while Berthoud Pass and Rocky Mountain National Park could each see almost 40 inches of snow stack up, according to NWS snowfall projections.
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A winter storm watch has been issued for the Front Range foothills from late Friday night through Saturday night.
The heaviest bands of snow will pass over the state Saturday, but roads will become slick and slushy starting Friday, making travel hazardous along mountain passes, forecasters said.
Sunny, warm and dry weather will return Monday, with temperatures heating back up into the 70s, forecasters said. The next chance of storms after the weekend starts Wednesday night into Thursday.
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