Summit County Citizens Voice

On-and-off snow expected through the weekend

Pacific storm to pound the San Juans, Elks and Grand Mesa. Click on the image to see the animated loop.

A polar satellite view shows the wave pattern of storms across the northern hemisphere. Click on the image to see the animated loop.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A complex swirl of storms is approaching the Colorado high country, with the first wave of moisture expected to hit the San Juans, as well as the mountains around Crested Butte, Aspen and Steamboat — all those areas are favored by a southwest flow and are under a winter storm warning.

The storm warning extends as far east as Vail Pass. Some of the higher elevations could pick up more than 12 inches of snow by Saturday evening.

The Summit County area likely won’t see much accumulating snow until late Saturday, Saturday night and into Sunday morning, with perhaps 3 to 6 inches during the first half of the weekend. Under a westerly flow continuing into Sunday, more snow could fall across the area the second half of the weekend, though the official forecast is still a mixed bag, with Grand Junction-based forecasters eying a low-level front that could focus snowfall along the I-70 corridor for a time Saturday.

A second storm system rolling in from the Pacific Monday also looks to be a good snow producer for the San Juans, but forecast details are still sketchy, with some models showing an open trough that could deliver snow with a northwest flow, while other forecasts are predicting a closed low that would have a more southwesterly component.

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado, Summit County snow and weather, Weatherblog Tagged: | Colorado, Colorado snow, National Weather Service, San Juans, Summit County snow, Vail Pass, winter storm warning Colorado