Denver Weather: Heavy Snow Slams Colorado's Front Range

DENVER (CBS4) - A potent spring storm will cause snow through most of the day on Thursday with many areas seeing 2 to 5 inches of additional snow during the day. Higher amounts are expected in the northern foothills.

As of sunrise on Thursday, most of the Denver metro area was measuring 2-6 inches of snow on the ground. Other areas had seen far more including most of Boulder and Larimer Counties.

The 11.6 inches in Boulder early Thursday is significant because it's enough to break the seasonal record. The previous record existed for 111 years from the 1908-1909 snow season when 142.9 inches snow was measured in the city. The snow Wednesday into Thursday now brings to the total for the 2019-2020 season to at least 145.9 inches.

Additional snowfall for Boulder and most areas along and west of I-25 will be 2 to 5 inches on Thursday. Amounts will be less to the east while the northern foothills including Black Hawk, Nederland, Ward, and Estes Park should see 4-8 inches of additional snow during the day on Thursday.

Most mountain areas above 10,000 feet will also see 4-8 inches of additional snowfall on Thursday.

In terms of alerts, a Winter Weather Advisory continues until 6 p.m. on Thursday while a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until the same time for the Boulder and Fort Collins areas.

Temperatures will be below normal statewide with most of the Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins area staying in the 20s all day. It will not be as chilly on the Western Slope but still below normal with highs mainly in the 40s and 50s.

Drier weather will return on Friday along with plenty of sunshine. The stage is set for a significant warmup but the snow the ground and the melting process will likely keep temperatures below their potential. Therefore most of the Front Range will be stuck in the 40s before more substantial warming starts over the weekend.