A major winter storm is ongoing across Colorado’s high country, with a second snow-intense wave set to arrive Wednesday and prolonged impacts to linger through Thursday morning. The heaviest totals are expected across the southern mountains.
Three to four feet of snow is possible in the hardest-hit areas, including Wolf Creek Pass and the San Juan Mountains. For most of the northern and central mountains, widespread totals of 10 to 20 inches are expected. The San Juans are forecast to see 12 to 20 inches broadly, with localized totals approaching 36 to 48 inches in favored terrain.
Periods of squally snow will continue overnight Tuesday into early Wednesday morning. A snow squall is an intense burst of heavy snow and wind that can reduce visibility to near zero in minutes, quickly creating icy roads and dangerous travel conditions.
The worst travel window is expected from late Tuesday night through Wednesday evening as the second wave intensifies snowfall rates. Wind gusts up to 60 mph will produce blowing snow and periodic whiteout conditions, especially over Vail Pass and near the Eisenhower Tunnel. These squalls can lead to sudden spinouts and chain-reaction crashes because road conditions deteriorate rapidly. Travel along Interstate 70 is likely to be difficult at times on Wednesday.
Forecast totals include:
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Vail Pass: 10 to 14 inches
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Eisenhower Tunnel: 11 to 16 inches
Snowfall amounts will taper with lower elevations, including Silverthorne and Georgetown…