Some Denver Meteorologists & Snow Lovers Had Their Patience Tested Monday By Mother Nature

By Chris Spears

DENVER (CBS4) - Monday morning was either a sigh of relief for those who dislike snow or a huge disappointment for snow lovers along Colorado's Front Range.

That's because the expectation was for light snow and slick roads during the morning rush hour due to a much anticipated and highly advertised winter storm.

But most of the area awoke to just partly or mostly cloudy skies and in some cases a fairly clear view of the moon.

It took a few extra hours for the snow machine to kick into gear on Monday due to the position of the storm and the resulting winds, which were largely out of the southeast until after mid-morning.

That's a downslope wind for the majority of the Denver metro area, meaning it blows off the higher terrain of the Palmer Divide, which lies between Denver and Colorado Springs.

But as the storm made a slow jaunt to the east throughout the day it gradually allowed the wind to "back" or shift form the southeast to the east.

As the low moves by the southern border of Colorado late Monday and into Tuesday those winds will continue to back and become more northeasterly which is a good direction for a strong upslope flow into the Front Range.

Winds that blow "upslope" rise once they hit the higher terrain of the foothills, allowing the air to condense and cool, helping to form precipitation.

The increasing snowfall combined with falling temperatures will make for extremely tough travel late Monday and during the Tuesday morning rush hour.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.